DT  123   .J27  1883  ^ 
James,  F.  L.  1851-1890 
The  wild  tribes  of  the 
Soudan 


LIBRARY  OF  PRINCETON 


JUL  2  4  2003 
THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


THE 


WILD  TRIBES  OF  THE  SOLDAN 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF 


TR-WEL  AND  SPORT  CHIEFLY  IN  THE  BASE  COUNTRY 


BEING 


PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES  AND  ADVENTURES  DURING 
THREE  WINTERS  SPENT  IN  THE 
SOUDAN 


BY 


F.  L.  JAMES,  M.A.,  F.R.G.S. 


LIBRARY  CF  PRiNCETON 

JUL  2  9  2003 

THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

NEW  YORK 
DODD,   MEAD,   AND  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  1883, 

By  dodd,  mead,  and  company. 


TO   THE   MEMORY  OF 
THE  HONOURABLE 

JOHN   CONSTABLE  MAXWELL, 

ON   A   PREVIOUS   JOURNEY   IN   THE  SOUDAN, 
THIS    RECORD    OF    OUR  WANDERINGS 
IS  AFFECTIONATELY  INSCRIBED. 


PREFACE. 


I  FEEL  that  some  apology  is  due  for  adding  another  to  the 
numerous  books  of  travel  that  have  been  written,  during  the 
last  few  years,  on  Africa.  My  excuse  must  be  the  interest 
always  taken  in  whatever  relates  to  Africa  and  the  African, 
and  the  fact  that  a  considerable  part  of  the  ground  trav- 
ersed —  namely,  that  through  the  Base  country  —  was  terra 
incognita^  and  had  not  been  explored  previous  to  our  visit. 

The  Base,  or  Kunama,  tribe,  who  inhabit  this  district,  are 
far  more  uncivilised  than  any  other  people  who  dwell  in 
that  part  of  Africa.  They  are  of  a  totally  different  type ; 
much  blacker,  and  more  closely  allied  to  the  pure  negro,  than 
any  of  their  neighbours.  To  penetrate  into  the  heart  of  their 
country,  had  for  some  time  been  with  me  a  cherished  project; 
and  I  had  often  discussed  its  feasibility  with  Egyptian  offi- 
cials and  others  in  the  Soudan,  during  previous  journeys 
made  in  the  country,  but  had  been  invariably  told  that  it 
was  next  to  impossible  to  accomplish  my  desire. 

On  all  hands  we  were  informed  that  the  Base  were  most 
treacherous,  and  that,  although  there  was  not  much  danger  of 
their  attacking  so  large  a  party  as  we  were  by  day,  they  would 
not  hesitate  to  take  advantage  of  us  during  the  darkness  of 
night,  if  an  opportunity  presented  itself.  My  narrative  will 
show  that  a  little  tact  and  care  on  our  part  overcame  these 

V 


vi 


PREFACE. 


obstacles,  and  we  became  the  best  of  friends.  Our  chief 
difficulty  was  in  first  entering  their  country,  and  in  setting 
their  minds  at  rest  as  to  our  peaceable  and  non-political 
intentions  towards  them.  On  one  occasion  only,  when  our 
party  was  divided,  we  had  good  reason  to  believe  that  they 
meditated  an  attack ;  but,  on  their  discovering  that  we  were 
apprised  of  their  intentions,  they  apparently  gave  up  their 
project,  and  we  never  had  cause  to  suspect  them  again. 

The  only  travellers  that  I  could  hear  of,  who  had  ever  ven> 
tured  into  this  country,  were  a  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Powell,  who, 
together  with  their  child,  had  been  treacherously  murdered 
by  the  Base ;  and  even  they  had  not  advanced  very  far  into 
their  territory. 

The  map  of  the  Base  country  that  accompanies  this  vol- 
ume was  made  by  my  brother,  Mr.  W.  D.  James,  assisted 
by  Mr.  Aylmer,  from  astronomical  observations  taken  with  a 
sextant  every  night.  They  carefully  mapped  out  our  route 
every  day  by  aid  of  the  sextant  and  prismatic  compass.  It 
adds  a  portion,  however  small,  to  the  map  of  Africa. 

The  woodcuts  were  all  done  in  New  York,  from  my 
brother's  and  Mr.  Aylmer's  photographs,  and  are  specimens 
of  a  branch  of  art  in  which  Americans  excel. 

I  would,  in  conclusion,  ask  the  indulgence  of  the  public 
for  this  effort  of  one  who  for  the  first  time  publishes  a 
record  of  his  daily  life  and  experiences  in  Africa. 

F.  L.  J. 

Sept.  19,  1883. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Page. 

We  leave  Cairo  for  the  Egyptian  Soudan. — The  Base  Country.  Egyptian 
Officials.  —  Quarantine  Regulations.  —  Our  Party.  —  Servants  of  the  Party. 
—  Ali  the  Cook.  —  Shereef  the  staid  and  stately  Waiter.  —  Mahoom. — 
The  Agra's  Passengers  ^  i 

CHAPTER  n. 

Arrival  at  Souakim.  —  The  Wakeel.  —  Thieving  Propensities  of  Egyptian 
Officials.  —  Encouragement  of  Slavery.  —  Souakim.  —  Caravan-routes  from 
Souakim.  —  Ala-ed-Deen  Pacha.  —  The  Governor's  "Palace."  —  Bedouin 
Government  Prisoners.  —  Omnipresence  of  Greeks.  —  Dhurra.  —  "Hotel 
du  Soudan."  —  Curious  Manner  of  dressing  the  Hair.  —  An  African  Hurl- 
ingham.  —  Story  of  the  Seven  Virgins.  —  Departure  from  Souakim    .       .  lo 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  First  Halt.  —  The  Rainy  Season.  —  The  Camel-sheik  comes  for  Bak- 
sheesh.—  Three  Caravan-routes  to  Cassala.  —  Disputes  with  the  Camel- 
drivers. —  Gazelles.  —  Management  of  Camels. —  Halt  at  Siterabb.  —  A 
Piteous  Tale  22 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Journey  continued.  —  Buck  Gazelle  shot.  —  More  trouble  with  the  Camel- 
drivers. —  A  rose-breasted  Shrike.  —  Sand-storm  at  Ellegua.  —  Jules  taken 
ill.  —  Death  in  Camp.  —  Takroori  Woman  abandoned  by  her  People. — 
We  divide  the  Camp.  —  Mishaps  of  those  left  behind. — Christmas  Day  at 

Wandi.  — "Molly"  27 

vii 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Page. 

We  divide  the  Camp.  —  Part  start  for  Cassala.  —  The  Rest  remain  at  Wandi. 

—  Continued  Ilhiess  of  Jules.  —  Dhiirra  runs  short.  —  Departure  from 
Wandi.  —  Khor  Belag.  —  News  of  the  First  Party.  —  A  Deserted  Village. 

—  Omri.  —  The   Belgian  Doctor.  —  Halt  at  Khor  Rassay.  —  Pnaraoh's 
Lean  Kine.  —  Desolate  Tract  of  Country.  —  Scorpions      •      -      •      •  35 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Arrival  at  Felik.  —  The  Gash.  —  Abundance  of  Game.  —  Cassala  reached. — 
Encampment  in  the  Dry  Bed  of  the  Gash.  —  Caravans  on  the  Cassala 
Road.  —  The  Governor  of  Cassala.  —  Servants  sent  from  Sanheit.  —  Death 
of  Jules  41 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Purchase  of  Camels.  —  Expedition  to  the  Atbara.  —  The  Village  of  Naouri. — 
Mosconas  and  his  Son.  —  White  Ants.  —  Dinner  with  the  Governor.  —  The 
Town  of  Cassala.  —  Hyenas.  —  Pariah  Dogs.  —  Collections  for  European 
Zoological  Societies.  —  Hiring  Camel-drivers.  —  Strike  of  Souakim  Ser- 
vants. —  Departure  from  Cassala.  —  Bashi-Bazouks  47 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Journey  from  Cassala.  —  Game  shot  by  the  Way.  —  The  Dog-faced  Baboon. 

—  Arrival  at  Haikota.  —  The  German  "Animal-catcher."  —  Visits  from  two 
Sheiks.  —  Sheik  Achmed  Ageer.  —  Attack  on  the  Beni-Amers  by  the  Base. 

—  Fresh  Supply  of  Camels.  —  Dinner  to  Sheik  Achmed  and  the  German. 

—  Success  of  the  Magic-Lantern    .       .       .       ;  60 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Departure  from  Haikota.  —  Mahomet  Salee.  —  Abundance  of  Game.  —  Halt 
at  Toadelook. —  Tetel.  —  Adventure  with  a  Lion  on  the  Prowl.  —  A  Shoot- 
ing Expedition.  —  Fifty-seven  Sand-grouse  netted.  —  Night-watches  in 
Hopes  of  a  Shot  71 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  Camp  moves  forward.  —  Scarcity  of  Game.  — Water  easily  obtainable. — 
Difficulties  of  the  Journey.  —  Baby  Crocodiles.  —  Sheik  Achmed  rejoins  the 
Travellers.  —  A  Battue.  —  Mimosa-Trees.  —  Road-cutting  through  the  Jun- 
gle.—  A  Buffalo  Adventure   .  ,78 


CONTENTS. 


ix 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Page, 

Arrival  at  Wo  Ammar.  —  First  Interview  with  Base.  —  A  Base  Village. — 
Giraffe-stalking.  —  The  Village  of  Koolookoo.  —  Deputation  from  the  Vil- 
lage.—  7\ie  Sheik's  Son  makes  himself  "generally  useful." — Presents  for 
the  Deputaf.on.  —  The  Koolookoo  Villagers  much  interested  in  us.  —  Visit 
to  the  Village. —  Women  of  Koolookoo  86 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Scarcity  of  DJutrra. — A  Number  of  Base  join  our  Camp.  —  Water-Carriers. 

—  Another  deserted  ViMage.  —  Ceremony  of  making  Peace.  —  Friendliness 
of  the  Base  Women.  —  The  Mareb.  —  Buffaloes  seen  for  the  First  Time. — 
More  Base  join  the  Camp. — Exciting  Stalk  after  an  Ostrich.  —  A  Leper. 

—  Game  abounds   .       .      .      .  '  95 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Aylmer  and  I  start  for  Ma  Ambasah,  and  find  Water.  —  A  Chase  after  Buffa- 
loes.—  Both  Barrels  at  Once.  —  A  nasty  Recoil.  —  A  Visit  from  Sheik 
Kudul.  —  He  departs,  promising  to  return.  —  The  Camp  moves  to  Ma 
Ambasah. —  Two  Bull  Buffaloes  killed.  —  Some  of  the  Camel-drivers  sent 
to  Amedeb  for  Dhiirra  107 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Disastrous  Adventure  with  Abyssinians.  —  Akabah  brings  the  Alarm.  —  Two 
of  our  Party  surprised  by  a  Hundred  armed  Abyssinians.  —  Making 
Friends. — Treachery  of  the  Abyssinians.  —  Mahomet  fearfully  wounded. 

—  The  Search  for  him.  —  The  Dembelas  Tribe.  —  Contemplated  Expedi- 
tion against  the  Dembelas  abandoned  116 

CHAPTER  XV. 

We  leave  Ma  Ambasah.  —  Arrival  of  Mahomet.  —  Doubts  of  the  Base.  —  A 
Picturesque  Scene.  —  Sport,  or  Exploration  ?  —  The  Medicine-Chest.  — 
Death  of  Mahomet.  —  Two  of  the  Party  start  for  Amedeb.  —  Difficulty  of 
keeping  Camels.  —  The  "Guffer"  Disease.  —  Dilatoriness  of  the  Arabs. — 
Poverty  of  the  Base.  —  The  Barea  Tribe  127 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Our  Journey  to  Amedeb.  —  History  of  Sheik  Said  Carcashi.  —  The  Bombashi. 

—  Promises  Aid  in  recovering  the  .Stolen  Property.  —  Ras  Aloula.  —  Town 

of  Amedeb.  —  Pere  Picarcl.  —  Mahomet's  Sister.  —  Return  to  the  Mareb    .  137 


X 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Page, 

Alarm  of  an  Attack  by  the  Base.  —  Our  Camp  moves  on.  —  Independence  of 
the  Base.  —  Elephant-tracks,  —  Most  of  the  Base  leave  the  Camjj. — A 
Shot  at  a  Lion.  —  Difificulty  of  vShooting  while  riding  Camels.  —  The  Arabs 
strike.  —  Abundance  of  Quail  144 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Return  to  Haikota.  —  Mishaps  with  the  Camels.  —  Success  of  the  Magic-Lan- 
tern.—  Departure  for  the  Settite.  —  The  Village  of  Sogada.  —  Arrival  at 
the  Settite  153 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

The  Road  to  the  Settite. — The  Everlasting  Forest.  —  Sheik  Achmed's  De- 
ception.—  Fishing  in  the  Settite.  —  The  Camp  moves  on.  —  The  Guides 
and  Camel-Drivers  refuse  to  proceed.  —  The  Return  to  Khor  Meheteb. — 
Adventure  with  a  Crocodile.  —  A  Scare  158 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Encampment  at  Khor  Meheteb.  —  Good  Fishing.  —  The  Kelb-el-bahr.  —  Cap- 
ture of  a  Baggar.  —  A  visit  from  Base  of  Lacatecourah.  —  Tracking  Buf- 
faloes.—  Arab  Escort  sent  back  to  Haikota.  —  Baboons.  —  Exciting  Night 
among  the  Buffaloes  168 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

A  Visit  from  two  Hamran  Sheiks.  —  Fresh  Sport  among  the  Buffaloes.  —  A 
Shereker.  —  A  Second  Visit  from  llamran  Sheiks.  —  They  offer  to  guide  us 
into  their  own  Country.  —  Three  Base  join  the  Cam]).  —  They  are  attacked 
by  the  Hamrans.  —  Moosa's  Discharge  178 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Departure  for  Om  Ilagar.  —  Good  Sport.  —  Arrival  at  Om  Hagar.  —  Buffalo- 
Tracks.  —  Capture  of  the  First  Hippopotamus.  —  Visit  from  Hamran 
Sheik's  Son.  —  The  Last  Hippopotamus.  —  Marabou  Storks. —  Purchase 
of  a  Tortoise.  —  A  Splendid  Buck  AW/w/"  shot  189 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
Extracts  from  Diary.  —  Bait  set  for  Lions.  —  Mosquitoes.  —  Among  the  Buf- 
faloes agam.  —  Beginning  of  the  Homeward  Journey.  —  Journey  towards 
Lacatecourah.  —  The  Village  of  Lacatecourah.  —  K  Boiinc-Bonche     .       .  202 


CONTENTS. 


xi 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Page. 

Encampment  at  Abou  Sellal.  —  A  Native  of  the  Base  Settite.  —  A  Dabergoum 
Sheik,  offers  to  conduct  us  to  the  Base  Settite.  —  Base  Villages  on  the 
Settite.  —  Capture  of  a  Boa-constrictor.  —  Arrival  at  Haikota.  —  The  Beni- 
Amer's  Raid  on  the  Base.  —  A  Visit  from  Sheik  Achmed  Ageer.  —  His 
Lame  Apologies  211 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Immense  Flocks  and  Herds.  —  Night-Watch  for  Lions.  —  Two  Panthers 
killed.  —  Two  Lions  bagged. — The  Camp  moves  on.  —  Religion  of  the 
Base.  —  Origin  of  various  African  Tribes  220 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

First  Day's  Journey  towards  Amedeb.  —  A  False  Alarm. — Arrival  at  Ame- 
deb.  —  Journey  continued.  —  Khor  Baraka.  —  Another  Watch  for  Lions. — 
Thrilling  Adventure  with  a  Lion.  —  News  of  the  Stolen  Rifles  and  Horse,  232 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Perilous  Ascent  of  Tchad- Amba.  —  The  Church.  —  The  Monks.  —  We  move 
on  again.  —  An  Old  Acquaintance.  —  Arrival  at  Sanheit. — The  Town  of 
Sanheit.  —  A  Last  Attempt  to  recover  the  .Stolen  Property.  —  A  Visit  to 
the  Church  and  Schools  at  Sanheit  240 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

We  start  for  Massawa.  —  Dra's  Sad  Story.  —  The  Anseba  Valley.  —  An 
Attempt  to  make  India-rubber  from  the  Quol-quol  Plant.  —  El  Ain. — 
Bashi-Bazouks  and  their  Prisoners.  —  We  encamp  at  the  Water-course 
Camphor.  —  Occasional  Sudden  Rising  of  the  W^ater  in  the  Khors     .       .  251 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Arrival  at  Massawa.  —  Comfortable  Quarters  at  the  "Palace." — Situation 
of  Massawa.  —  Water-Supply  of  Massawa.  —  The  Town  is  guarded  at 
Night.  —  Camel-Sale  by  Auction.  —  The  Start  from  Massawa.  —  Perilous 
Position  of  Mahoom  260 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

Arrival  at  Souakim.  — A  visit  to  Mr.  Bewley.  —  Our  Fellow-Passengers  on  the 
"Messina."  —  Arrival  at  Suez.  —  Accounts  of  Abyssinian  Raid  in  English 
and  Egyptian  Press.  —  Suleiman's  History.  —  We  leave  Cairo  for  England,  267 


THE  WILD  TRIBES  OF  THE  SOUDAN. 


CHAPTER  I. 

* 

We  leave  Cairo  for  the  Egyptian  Soudan. — The  Base  Country.  —  Egyptian  Offi- 
cials.—  Quarantine  Regulations.  —  Our  Party.  —  Servants  of  the  Party.  —  All 
the  Cook.  —  Shereef  the  Staid  and  Stately  Waiter.  —  Mahoom.  —  The  Agra's 
Passengers. 

On  Dec.  i,  1881,  we  left  Cairo  for  Suez,  en  route  for  the 
Egyptian  Soudan,  with  the  intention  of  exploring  the  Bas6 
country,  a  small  tract  lying  between  Takar  (an  Egyptian  prov- 
ince, of  which  Cassala  is  the  principal  town)  and  Abyssinia. 
We  were  going  chiefly  for  sport ;  and,  the  Base  country  being 
almost  if  not  entirely  unknown  to  Europeans,  we  hoped  to  be 
successful,  especially  as  it  had  not  previously  been  shot  over, 
and,  moreover,  lies  in  a  part  of  Africa  inhabited  by  many  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  game.  We  knew  that  in  all  probability  there 
would  be  considerable  difficulties  to  encounter  in  exploring  the 
country ;  as  only  a  small  part  of  it,  and  that  a  part  where  there 
is  little  or  no  game,  belongs  to  Egypt,  and  consequently  no  help 
could  be  expected,  but  rather  hindrance,  from  the  Egyptian 
officials  in  endeavouring  to  carry  out  our  programme.  They 
naturally  dislike  the  possibility  of  sportsmen  running  the  risk 
of  getting  into  trouble  with  tribes  bordering  on  their  frontier. 
The  Base  are  the  betes  noires,  moreover,  of  all  that  part  of 


2 


AN  UNPROMISING  OUTLOOK, 


the  Soudan,  and  have  the  character  of  being  a  very  treacherous 
and  unfriendly  people ;  so  that  it  was  not  only  on  the  part  of 
the  Egyptian  officials  that  we  expected  to  have  obstacles  thrown 
in  our  way,  but  we  felt  sure  that  we  should  have  considerable 
difficulty  in  getting  camel-drivers  and  servants  to  undertake  the 
journey.  Then,  too,  the  Base,  dwelling  as  they  do  between 
Egyptian  and  Abyssinian  territory,  would  naturally  be  jealous 
of  any  one  entering  their  country  through  that  of  their  power- 
ful Egyptian  neighbours,  and  might  think,  that,  instead  of  being 
bent  purely  on  travel  and  sport,  we  were  really  come  on  behalf 
of  the  Egyptian  Government,  to  endeavour  to  squeeze  taxes 
out  of  them,  and  to  reduce  them  to  submission. 

On  our  arrival  in  Cairo,  we  heard  that  we  should  probably 
be  delayed  for  some  three  or  four  weeks  before  we  could  find 
a  steamer  to  take  us  to  Souakim  (the  port  on  the  Red  Sea  from 
which  we  wished  to  make  our  start  into  the  interior),  owing  to 
the  existing  quarantine  regulations.  In  consequence  of  the 
prevalence  of  cholera  in  India  and  at  Aden,  all  steamers  going 
from  an  Arabian  to  an  African  port  were  subjected  to  quaran- 
tine on  their  arrival. 

The  only  regular  steamers  calling  at  Souakim  are  those  of 
the  Khedivial  Company  ;  and  they,  as  a  rule,  call  at  ports  on 
both  sides  of  the  Red  Sea,  in  their  voyages  up  and  down. 
The  steamers  of  the  Rubbatino  Company  are  also  advertised 
to  stop  at  Souakim,  but  they  are,  at  the  best  of  times,  most 
irregular;  and,  when  we  wished  to  go,  their  "fleet"  had  been 
reduced  to  one  steamer,  the  "  Messina,"  and  even  she  had,  for 
the  time  being,  been  withdrawn  from  the  service,  owing  to  the 
quarantine. 

Most  of  the  steamers,  moreover,  were  keeping  to  the  Ara- 
bian ports,  while  several  were  being  done  up  at  Alexandria  : 
so  that  there  was  only  one  steamer,  the    Zagazig,"  performing 


OUR  PARTY. 


3 


the  service  between  Suez  and  the  African  ports,  and  she  had 
started  before  we  had  collected  our  party  together. 

In  this  dilemma,  we  fortunately  were  able  to  induce  the 
British  India  Company's  steamer  "Agra"  to  stop  for  us  at 
Souakim,  on  her  way  out  to  India.  This  was  most  lucky  for 
us,  as  we  grudged  spending  more  of  the  cool  weather  at  Cairo 
than  we  could  help ;  the  heat  in  the  Soudan  becoming  very 
trying  by  the  spring. 

The  "Agra"  was  delayed  in  the  canal,  and  instead  of 
leaving  Suez  on  Dec.  2,  as  she  should  have  done,  did  not  start 
until  the  7th  :  this  was,  however,  fortunate,  as  one  of  our 
party  (Colvin)  was  to  join  us  there  from  Australia;  and, 
had  she  started  on  the  right  day,  he  would  have  been  too 
late,  as  he  did  not  arrive  until  the  4th,  running  it  rather  fine. 
He  had  come  straight  from  Adelaide,  in  the  "  Chimborazo," 
one  of  the  Orient  line,  without  touching  anywhere  :  and  she 
had  been  a  few  days  late  in  starting. 

Before  embarking  at  Suez,  I  may  as  well  introduce  our 
party  to  my  readers.  It  consisted  of  seven,  besides  servants, 
—  G.  Percy  V.  Aylmer,  R.  B.  Colvin,  E.  Lort  Phillips,  my  two 
brothers,  the  Doctor,  and  myself.  Of  these,  all  except  Colvin 
and  the  Doctor  had  made  an  expedition  together,  during  the 
previous  winter,  into  the  Bogos  country,  on  the  Abyssinian 
frontier ;  and  my  brothers  and  myself  had,  four  years  previous 
to  that,  travelled  via  the  Nile  and  Atbara  Rivers,  as  far  as 
the  River  Settite  :  so  that  we  were  not  novices  in  African 
travel,  and,  moreover,  —  a  most  important  consideration  in 
undertaking  such  an  expedition,  —  we  felt  that  we  should  get 
on  well  together. 

As  we  were  so  large  a  number  of  Europeans,  we  thought 
that  it  would  be  prudent  to  have  a  doctor  in  the  party.  I 
undertook  the  task  of  finding  one,  and  found  it  no  sinecure. 


4  ADVERTISING  FOR  ''THE  DOCTOR:' 


As  I  could  not  hear  privately  of  any  one  willing  to  accompany 
our  party,  who  seemed  suitable,  I  considered  the  best  thing  to 
do  was  to  advertise  in  the  principal  medical  journals ;  I  also 
put  an  advertisement  in  the  Times"  and  "Athenaeum." 
The  result  was,  I  was  inundated  with  replies.  Some  of  these 
were  most  amusing. 

The  evident  difficulties  some  of  my  correspondents  found 
in  describing  their  personal  qualifications  may  be  best  illus- 
trated by  the  following  extracts  from  some  of  their  letters, 
which  I  here  subjoin.  One,  after  stating  that  his  age  was  forty- 
three,  and  that  he  had  never  had  a  day's  illness,  went  on  to 
say  that  he  possessed  "  a  disinfectant,  unknown  to  the  profes- 
sion, for  the  prevention  of  fevers ;  also,  the  means  of  curing 
the  same  without  medicine."  He  had  had  more  experience 
in  the  treatment  of  fever  than  most  medical  men  in  England. 
His  concluding  sentence  we  all  thought  delicious,  and  felt  he 
was  quite  the  man  to  rough  it  in  Central  Africa.  I  again 
quote  from  his  letter  :  "  I  like  a  cigar  after  my  dinner  and 
supper,  with  a  glass  of  mild  ale,  and  meals  at  regular  Jionrs  ;  so 
that  I  call  myself  an  abstemious  man,  and  one  to  be  depended 
upon  day  or  night."  Another  applicant  kindly  observed,  "If 
the  expedition  is  of  a  scientific  character,  I  should  not  object 
to  take  professional  charge,  provided  that  I  am  allowed  to 
obtain  a  sufficient  stock  of  Jaborandi  (?),  Warburg's  tincture, 
and  other  prophylactics  against  marsh-fever,  without  which  it 
would  be  unsafe  to  venture  into  that  country,  or  to  permit 
others  to  do  so.  Furnished  with  these,  I  would,  using  proper 
precautions  as  regards  sanitation,  food,  and  clothing,  face  the 
Terai  or  the  Gold  Coast  without  fear  or  hesitation.  I  have 
an  excellent  constitution,  delight  in  tropical  climate  (barring 
swamp),  am  never  sea-sick,  and  accustomed  to  rough  travel, 
and  to  carry  my  life  in  my  hand.     Like  all  old  Westminster 


QUALIFICATIONS  OF  CANDIDATES,  5 


scholars  of  my  time,  I  can  cook,  do  any  kind  of  rough-and- 
ready  housework,  row,  fish,  shoot,  and,  I'm  sorry  to  admit, 
fight  if  occasion  demands  it,  and  also  keep  my  temper 
under  almost  any  provocation.  I  have  the  reputation  of 
being  a  scholar,  and  I  believe  I  may  say  a  gentleman.  I 
forgot  to  state  that  I  pick  up  languages  rapidly,  am  a  tolerable 
connoisseur  in  art  and  cookery,  play  whist,  piquet,  and  chess 
well  for  an  amateur,  and  don't  drink  or  gamble ;  and  that  I 
am  a  member  of  the  Church  of  England,  as  my  father's  son 
should  be." 

We  felt  that  the  field  for  this  gentleman  to  display  his  taste 
in  art  as  well  as  in  cookery  would  be  somewhat  limited  in  the 
countries  we  proposed  visiting,  although  his  pugilistic  skill 
might  prove  of  value.  We,  however,  fully  appreciated  the  kind 
care  he  was  anxious  to  take  of  us.  His  concluding  sentence 
was  most  cheering  in  case  of  any  sinister  accident :  I  am 
engaged  in  devising  a  series  of  tests  to  determine  whether  peo- 
ple are  really  dead  before  they  are  buried  ;  and  Egypt  is  a 
good  country  to  make  observations  of  this  sort  in." 

One  applicant  wrote  of  a  man  whom  he  eulogized  as  fol- 
lows :     It  will  be  found  on  inquiry,  that  Dr.  is  highly 

and  most  respectably  connected.  He  is  good-looking  though 
unassuming,  jovial  yet  refined,  and  strictly  abstemious.  He  is 
about  to  commence  practice  for  himself.  When  he  does,  his 
unpretending  amenity,  simplicity  of  manners  and  deportment, 
combined  with  his  great  acumen  and  high  professional  attain- 
ments, are  sure  to  meet  with  success." 

We  felt  that  this  gentleman's  "deportment  and  unpretend- 
ing amenity"  would  be  quite  thrown  away  on  the  wild  tribes 
of  the  Soudan  ;  and  passed  on  to  another  letter  in  which  the 
writer,  after  enumerating  every  place  marked  on  the  most 
extensive  map  of  the  West  Coast  of  Africa  yet  published,  all 


6 


SERVANTS  OF  THE  PARTY. 


of  which  places  he  stated  he  had  visited,  went  on  to  say  he 
had  "attended  Ocko  Jumbo's  son,  made  the  acquaintance  of 
King  Ja  Yj  at  Opobo,"  and  that  he  was  "on  the  most  inti- 
mate terms  with  King  Ockei."  We  felt  that  this  gentleman 
was  accustomed  to  altogether  too  high  society  for  us,  and  we 
could  promise  him  no  royal  acquaintances  in  the  part  of  the 
Soudan  we  were  about  to  visit.  I  shall  only  trouble  my  readers 
with  one  more  quotation,  and  that  from  a  telegram  I  received 
from  a  French  doctor ;  in  which,  after  stating  his  terms,  which 
were  qiiatre  mille  francs  pour  dciix  inois,  payes  d' avarice,  ct  tons 
Ics  frais  du  voyage,''  he  went  on  to  say  that  he  required  "  nne 
cJiambre  a  part,  et  ne  vent  pas  itre  obligd  de  snivre  ces  messienrs 
dans  lenrs  excnrsions  de  cJiasse  "  ! 

For  servants  we  had  with  us  George  Reason,  an  Englishman 
who  had  accompanied  us  during  our  journey  into  the  Bogos 
country  ;  and  two  Swiss,  Jules  and  Anselmier ;  these  made  up 
the  European  contingent.  The  native  servants  that  we  took 
from  Cairo  consisted  of  Suleiman  Daoud,  our  head  man  and  a 
most  excellent  fellow  ;  he  had  been  with  us  on  our  last  expe- 
dition, and  was  for  nearly  five  years  with  Sir  Samuel  Baker 
when  he  went  as  head  of  the  Egyptian  government  expedition 
to  the  White  Nile  and  equatorial  lakes  :  Shereef  the  waiter, 
very  staid  and  stately,  never  ruffled  or  put  out  by  any  thing, 
slow,  but  an  excellent  man  in  his  particular  line,  keeping  the 
canteen,  his  special  care,  in  first-ra^e  condition  throughout  the 
entire  journey  :  Ali  the  cook,  a  native  of  the  Soudan,  a  most 
important  functionary,  and  a  very  good  servant ;  he  was  with 
us  during  the  winter  of  i^yj-'j^,  and  on  one  occasion  when 
with  us  at  Cassala,  he  asked  leave  to  get  drunk,  urging  as 
his  excuse  that  some  gentlemen,  with  whom  he  had  travelled 
several  times  previously,  always  allowed  him  to  do  so  at  that 
place  ;  he  had  consequently  got  to  look  upon  it  as  a  sort  of 


"  TARTAR." 


7 


special  privilege  belonging  to  the  place  ;  a  lecture  was  deliv- 
ered to  him  on  the  sin  of  drunkenness,  which  I  believe  he 
regarded  as  a  sort  of  permission  to  get  drunk ;  for  he  got  very 
drunk,  but  not  before  he  had  sent  us  up  a  most  excellent  din- 
ner, and,  as  far  as  I  know,  he  never  afterwards  offended  in 
this  respect ;  Mahoom,  a  coal-black  negro  from  the  White 
Nile,  a  boy  of  sixteen,  speaking  both  English  and  Arabic. 
Mahoom  was  originally  captured  by  some  slave-traders  on  the 
White  Nile,  in  a  raid  that  they  made  against  a  village ;  he  was 
freed  by  Col.  Gordon,  the  late  governor-general  of  the  Soudan, 
and  given  to  Dr.  Felkin  at  Khartoum.  Dr.  Felkin  was  the 
medical  man  in  charge  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society's 
expedition  to  Uganda,  and  took  Mahoom  with  him  to  that  place. 
He  had  returned  with  the  doctor  to  England,  where  he  had 
spent  some  months  ;  hearing  that  we  were  going  to  the  Soudan, 
Dr.  Felkin  was  glad  that  we  should  take  the  boy  with  us,  in 
order  that  he  might  escape  the  cold  of  an  English  winter. 

Of  these  four  servants,  the  only  one  who  did  not  speak  Eng- 
lish easily  was  Shereef.  On  asking  him,  at  Cairo,  if  he  spoke 
English,  he  replied  in  the  negative,  but  added  that  he  spoke 
"too  much  French."  His  powers,  however,  in  that  respect,  we 
found  were  very  limited  ;  but,  as  most  of  us  spoke  a  little  Ara- 
bic, "too  much  French"  was  not  required. 

We  brought  with  us  from  England  two  dogs,  —  a  setter 
and  a  fox-terrier,  "Tartar."  The  former,  when  he  was  put  in 
the  dog-box  of  the  train  at  Cairo,  to  go  to  Suez,  was  in  perfect 
health  and  spirits  ;  but  when  we  came  to  take  him  out  at  Zag- 
azig,  a  station  about  half  way  between  the  two  places,  where 
we  had  to  change  trains,  he  was  dead.  They  had  been  poisoning 
a  great  many  dogs  at  Cairo ;  and  he  must  have  been  poisoned, 
probably  on  the  morning  we  left.  "Tartar"  stood  the  climate 
very  well :  he  would  run  with  the  camels  all  day,  and  sometimes, 


8 


FELL  O  W-PASSENGERS. 


when  tired,  we  let  him  ride  on  some  of  the  baggage.  He  would 
often  run  on  ahead  of  us,  and  rest  under  the  shade  of  some 
tree ;  and  then,  after  we  had  passed  him  some  distance,  he 
would  catch  us  up  again.  Once  or  twice  we  feared  we  had  lost 
him.  He  was  very  fond  of  chasing  gazelles,  —  which  it  is  un- 
necessary to  add  he  never  caught,  —  and  he  sometimes  went  so 
far  after  them  that  we  lost  him  for  hours.  Several  times  he 
reached  the  camp  long  after  the  last  of  the  caravan  had  arrived  : 
he  had,  no  doubt,  found  and  followed  the  scent  of  the  camels. 

Among  the    Agra's  "  passengers,  we  had  two  officers  of  the 

Blues."  They  had  come  out  to  Egypt  hoping  to  be  able  to 
make  an  expedition  into  the  interior,  from  either  Berbera  or 
Tajourah,  ports  opposite  Aden,  but  had  been  obliged  to  give  it 
up,  and  had  decided  on  landing  at  Souakim. 

There  were  also  three  or  four  saloon-passengers,  bound  for 
India,  who  had  come  out  in  the  "  Agra "  from  England,  and 
were  not  at  all  delighted,  after  their  long  delay  in  the  canal,  at 
the  prospect  of  a  further  delay  through  going  to  Souakim,  as  it 
would  cause  them  to  be  two  days  longer  on  their  voyage  to 
Kurrachee,  to  which  port  they  were  bound. 

We  found  eight  or  ten  Persian  pilgrims,  deck-passengers,  far 
more  interesting  than  the  Anglo-Indians.  They  were  dressed 
in  parti-coloured  robes  resembling  dressing-gowns,  and  wore 
the  high  felt  Persian  hat,  and,  though  extremely  dirty,  were 
decidedly  picturesque. 

These  unfortunate  men  had  set  out  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Mecca 
from  Bushire,  at  the  head  of  the  Persian  Gulf  ;  and  some  of 
them  had  saved  up  their  money  for  years  with  this  object  in 
view. 

After  about  a  month's  voyage,  they  had  arrived  at  Jeddah, 
the  port  for  Mecca,  only  to  find  that  they  might  not  land  there. 
There  was,  at  the  time  of  their  arrival  at  Jeddah,  cholera  in  the 


LONDON  VS.  MECCA, 


9 


Persian  Gulf ;  and  as  it  had  not  reached  the  Arabian  ports,  they 
were  not  permitted  to  land.  They  consequently  had  to  go  on 
in  the  steamer ;  but  were  not  allowed  to  disembark  either  at 
Suez,  Algiers,  or  Lisbon,  at  all  of  which  ports  they  touched,  and 
so  were  carried  on  to  London. 

There  they  had  spent  three  or  four  weeks  ;  and  the  British 
India  Company  had  sent  them  to  the  Aquarium,  Crystal  Palace, 
and  other  sights,  keeping  them  at  the  expense  of  the  company. 
I  should  say  they  had  a  far  more  agreeable  time  of  it  in  Lon- 
don than  they  would  have  had  at  Mecca ;  and  surely,  under  the 
circumstances,  it  would  help  them  as  well  on  their  road  to  para- 
dise as  though  they  had  in  reality  been  enabled  to  say  their 
prayers  at  the  sacred  shrine,  and  to  have  drunk,  at  their  source, 
the  sacred  waters  of  Zem-Zem. 

As  the  pilgrimage  season  was  over,  it  was  of  no  use  for  them 
to  land  at  Jeddah  when  the  Agra  "  called  there  after  leaving 
Souakim  ;  and  consequently  they  were  on  their  way  back  to 
Bushire.  Two  or  three  of  the  original  band,  better  off  than  the 
rest,  had,  we  were  told,  left  London  for  Paris,  intending  to 
travel  overland  ;  and  one  had  discovered  a  Jioiiri  in  London, 
with  whom  he  was  living  in  Bayswater. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Arrival  at  Souakim.  —  The  Wakeel.  —  Thieving  Propensities  of  Egyptian  Officials. 
—  Encouragement  of  Slavery. —  Souakim. —  Caravan-routes  from  Souakim. — 
Ala-ed-Deen  Pacha.  —  The  Governor's  "  Palace."  —  Bedouin  Government  Pris- 
oners.—  Omnipresence  of  Greeks.  —  Dhicrra.  —  "  Hotel  du  Soudan." —  Curious 
Manner  of  dressing  the  Hair.  —  An  African  Hurlingham.  —  Story  of  the  Seven 
Virgins.  —  Departure  from  Souakim. 

After  a  very  uneventful  voyage,  we  reached  Souakim  about 
noon  of  the  i  ith.  The  day  before,  we  had  had  heavy  rain  ;  and 
the  day  we  landed  was  very  cloudy,  with  occasional  heavy  show- 
ers. We  were  much  surprised  at  finding  wet  weather  in  that 
part  of  the  world,  but  afterwards  discovered,  that,  although  rain 
by  no  means  always  falls  at  that  time  of  year,  yet  it  is  the  sea- 
son of  coast  rains. 

On  our  arrival,  we  called  on  the  Waked,  or  government 
agent,  Achmed  Effendi ;  he  offered  us  rooms  in  the  "palace," 
which  we  were  very  glad  of,  though  it  was  decided  to  remain 
for  that  night  on  board  ship. 

Mr.  Brewster,  the  custom-house  officer,  and  Mr.  Bewley,  were 
at  that  time  the  only  English  residents  in  the  Soudan.  The 
former  had  been  there  some  time  ;  but  the  latter  had  only  just 
come  from  Jeddah,  where  he  had  lived  as  partner  in  a  trading- 
firm  that  had  set  up  a  branch  establishment  at  Souakim.  On 
our  return  to  Souakim  in  the  spring,  we  found  Mr.  Brewster 
had  left,  and  that  a  native  had  taken  his  place,  whose  pay  would 
perhaps  be  less,  but  who  would  in  all  probability  far  more  than 

10 


A  MONEY-MAKING  WAKEEL, 


make  up  for  that  by  well  lining  his  own  pockets  at  the  expense 
of  the  government. 

As  a  rule,  Egyptian  officials,  both  high  and  low,  go  to  the 
Soudan  only  in  order  to  rob  for  themselves  as  much  as  possible 
during  the  time  they  are  there  ;  and,  when  they  have  feathered 
their  own  nests  as  well  as  their  opportunities  allow  them,  they 
give  place  to  others,  whose  ambition  it  is  to  follow  them  in  the 
same  noble  course.  These  Englishmen  were  most  kind  in  help- 
ing us,  and  allowed  us  to  leave  some  things,  that  we  did  not 
require  to  take  with  us,  in  their  care. 

We  saw  very  little  of  the  Wakeel  Achmed  Effendi,  and  did 
not  hear  at  all  a  good  report  of  him.  We  were  told  that  he  was 
doing  anything  but  discouraging  the  slave-trade ;  that,  on  the 
contrary,  he  took  a  bribe  of  two  napoleons  for  every  slave  that 
he  permitted  to  leave  the  port,  and  that  the  chief  of  police  took 
one  in  addition.  Some  slaves  had  been  lately  seized,  and  a 
great  to-do  made  about  them  •  but  this  was  because  the  hush- 
money  was  not  forthcoming. 

The  entrance  to  the  harbour  o_  Souakim  is  narrow  and  long, 
and  steamers  can  only  go  in  by  daylight ;  the  entrance  is  well 
marked  out  by  beacons,  but  there  are  dangerous  reefs  outside. 
Our  captain  had  never  been  to  the  port  before,  and  did  not 
seem  at  all  to  relish  taking  his  vessel  in.  There  is  not  anchor- 
age in  the  harbour  for  more  than  four  or  five  steamers  at  a  time. 

The  town,  which  is  built  of  coral,  is  rather  picturesque-look- 
ing, though  of  a  glaring  white ;  and  it  boasts  of  one  or  two 
minarets.  The  carving  of  some  of  the  doors  and  window- 
shutters  of  the  houses  is  most  elaborate,  and  of  a  different 
pattern  from  any  I  have  seen  in  Cairo.  I  was  told  that  there 
was  a  great  deal  of  the  same  kind  of  work  at  Jeddah. 

The  town  is  built  on  an  island,  which  is  united  to  the  main- 
land by  a  causeway  which  Col.  Gordon  had  made  when  he  was 


12 


ROUTES  ACROSS  THE  DESERT. 


governor-general  of  the  Soudan.  Its  population  is  about  eight 
thousand ;  and  it  is  the  chief  port  of  the  Soudan,  and  the  outlet 
of  the  great  bulk  of  the  trade  of  the  White  Nile  and  Khar- 
toum. 

The  great  caravan-route  from  Souakim  is  that  which,  crossing 
the  desert,  strikes  the  Nile  at  Berber,  a  distance  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  miles ;  not  the  road  to  Cassala,  which  we  followed. 
Its  trade,  however,  is  not  increasing,  owing  to  the  present  low 
price  of  gum,  its  chief  export  in  Europe,  and  to  the  restrictions 
on  the  slave-trade.  Formerly  slaves  could  be  purchased  with 
cotton-cloth  imported  from  Manchester ;  and  the  slaves  were 
made  to  carry  ivory,  ostrich-feathers,  etc.,  to  the  coast :  now  this 
"  branch  of  industry  "  is  done  away  with,  although  more  mer- 
chandise finds  its  way  to  Europe  by  Souakim  than  by  the  other 
great  outlet,  that  via  Berber  and  Korosko  on  the  Nile, 

I  made  the  journey  up  the  Nile,  from  Cairo  to  Korosko,  dur- 
ing the  winter  of  iZjj-jZ,  and  from  thence  across  the  desert 
to  Abou  Hamed,  following  the  banks  of  the  Nile  to  Berber. 
The  desert  journey  from  Korosko  to  Abou  Hamed  is  a  most 
severe  one  :  the  distance  is  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  the 
worst  desert  imaginable,  with  nothing  for  the  camels  to  eat, 
and  only  one  well,  the  whole  way.  The  heat,  too,  during  the 
greater  part  of  the  year,  is  terrific ;  and  the  consequent  mor- 
tality among  the  camels  that  make  the  transit,  very  great. 

In  crossing  this  desert,  we  saw  two  regular  slave-caravans, 
consisting  of  boys  and  girls,  probably  from  the  White  Nile  or 
Darfour,  travelling  in  the  direction  of  Korosko.  They  were  all 
trudging  wearily  through  the  heavy  sand,  while  their  owners 
rode  on  camels  which  the  slaves  led.  Many  doubtless  perish 
on  the  journey. 

Besides  the  Berber  and  Korosko  route,  and  that  from  Berber 
to  Souakim,  there  is  a  third  road  much  used  by  Soudanese  tra- 


QUARTERED  IN  THE  ''PALACE: 


ders.  This  road  follows  the  banks  of  the  Nile  to  Wady  Halfah  : 
it  is  chiefly  made  use  of  by  caravans  coming  from  Darfour  and 
Kordofan,  provinces  to  the  west  of  the  White  Nile,  that  pro- 
duce great  quantities  of  gum.  The  Nile  is  struck  at  a  small 
village  called  Debbe,  about  latitude  i8°  north,  whence  goods  are 
conveyed  by  boats  as  far  as  Dongola,  where  the  cataracts  ren- 
der farther  navigation  impossible  ;  and  then  camels  carry  them 
to  Wady  Halfah  at  the  second  cataract.  The  journey  is  then 
resumed  in  boats  to  the  first  cataract,  where  a  railway  five 
miles  in  length  carries  the  goods  below  the  cataract  to  other 
boats  waiting  for  Cairo  or  Alexandria. 

The  Egyptian  government  had  just  separated  the  Red-Sea 
ports  Souakim  and  Massouah,  together  with  the  country  be- 
tween them,  and  Cassala,  Sanheit,  the  town  of  Cassala  itself, 
Gedariff,  the  Hamran  country,  Gallabat  and  neighbouring  jDrov- 
inces,  from  the  rest  of  the  Soudan.  Ala-ed-Deen  Pacha,  who 
had  been  for  a  long  time  governor  of  different  parts  of  this 
country,  was  made  supreme  governor  ;  and  Ali  Reza  Pacha,  for- 
merly governor  of  the  Red-Sea  ports,  was  deposed.  The  latter 
was  much  hated  by  the  people.  Our  steamer  brought  this  news 
to  the  inhabitants  of  Souakim ;  and,  Ala-ed-Deen  being  much 
liked,  the  people  testified  to  their  joy  at  this  change  of  govern- 
ment by  getting  up  an  inipromptu  illumination,  chiefly  by  means 
of  little  oil-lamps  which  they  hung  in  front  of  their  houses. 

We  were  very  glad  to  be  able  to  live  in  the  "palace,"  during 
our  stay  at  Souakim,  instead  of  being  obliged  to  live  in  tents, 
as  it  rained  more  or  less  every  day.  We  were  given  two  rooms 
on  the  first  floor,  in  one  of  which  we  slept,  while  the  other  was 
assigned  to  our  servants  and  luggage.  Our  meals  we  took 
either  on  the  verandah,  —  which  was  very  broad,  and  looked  on 
to  the  sea,  —  or  in  the  large  passage,  or  rather  hall,  out  of  which 
our  rooms  opened.    Although  every  thing  was  open,  the  huge 


GOVERNMENT  PRISONERS. 


windows  being  without  glass,  but  with  shutters  in  its  place, 
and  plenty  of  air  stirring,  we  found  Souakim  extremely  hot 
and  "muggy,"  and  were  anxious  to  leave  it  with  as  little  delay 
as  possible.  The  ''palace  "  is  built  at  one  end  of  a  large  court- 
yard, one  side  of  which  faces  the  sea,  and  forms  the  sea-wall. 
On  the  right-hand  side  a  double  staircase  led  to  our  apart- 
ments ;  and  the  courtyard  was  entered  from  the  street  by  an 
imposing  gateway  guarded  by  soldiers,  over  which  a  most 
formidable-looking  lion  carved  in  stone  held  sway ;  his  tail, 
which  was  of  extraordinary  proportions,  stuck  out  straight. 
I  think  the  idea  of  the  lion  was  chiefly  ornamental  ;  though, 
guarding  as  he  did  the  entrance  to  the  divan,  he  may  have  been 
intended  as  a  symbol  of  power  likewise  :  he  was  certainly  looked 
upon  as  an  object  of  admiration  by  the  inhabitants. 

We  encountered  a  very  sad  sight  every  time  we  either 
entered  or  left  the  courtyard.  In  one  corner  were  huddled 
together  some  forty  Bedouins,  mostly  men,  with  a  few  women 
and  children.  They  were  all  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Jed- 
dah,  and  were  government  prisoners  :  they  had  chains  on  their 
legs,  and  were  living  in  a  state  of  captivity  from  no  fault  of 
their  own. 

It  api^eared  that  a  number  of  Bedouins  had  crossed  over  to 
Souakim  with  their  camels,  intending  to  settle  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood, and  breed  camels.  As,  however,  they  quarrelled  with 
the  Arabs  of  the  country.  Col.  Gordon,  who  was  then  governor 
of  the  Soudan,  gave  them  nine  thousand  dollars  compensation 
(they  having  originally  obtained  permission  to  settle  where 
they  were),  and  sent  them  back  to  their  own  country.  On  Col. 
Gordon  giving  up  the  governor-generalship  of  the  Soudan,  and 
leaving  the  country,  a  number  of  them  returned,  determined 
to  try  again  what  they  could  do.  Ali  Reza  Pacha,  who  was 
then  governor  of  Souakim,  thought  this  an  opportunity  not  to 


GREEK  TRADERS. 


15 


be  lost,  for  raising  a  little  money.  As  he  could  only  squeeze 
two  thousand  dollars  out  of  them,  and  this  did  not  satisfy  him, 
he  put  them  in  irons. 

When  we  arrived,  they  had  been  living  a  year  in  the  court- 
yard in  this  way,  and,  although  government  prisoners,  were 
obliged  to  provide  their  own  food.  Their  camels  had  died  off 
in  great  numbers,  and  many  of  the  men  also  had  succumbed  to 
the  bad  treatment  they  had  received.  Some  of  them  (guarded 
by  soldiers)  were  allowed  to  live  with  their  camels,  a  few 
miles  out  of  Souakim,  where  there  was  food  for  their  beasts. 
Achmed  Effendi  had  actually  made  them  lately  believe,  that,  if 
they  would  give  him  forty  dollars,  it  would  help  towards  freeing 
them.  They  subscribed  this  amount  between  them,  which  of 
course  went  to  line  the  worthy  Effendi's  pockets,  the  result  to 
the  Bedouins  being  nil.  They  had  no  shelter  from  sun  or  rain ; 
and  some  of  the  poor  little  children  were  suffering  from  fever, 
which  our  doctor  did  what  he  could  to  alleviate.  We  left  forty 
dollars  with  Mr.  Brewster,  who  promised  to  expend  it  during  the 
winter  in  food,  which  he  kindly  offered  to  distribute  among  them. 

On  our  return  in  April,  he  told  us  he  had  been  able  to  buy  a 
great  deal  of  rice  and  dJmri^a  with  the  money,  and  that  the  poor 
people  had  been  most  grateful.  We  were  glad  to  find  the 
wretched  prisoners  flown  on  our  return,  as  the  first  act  of 
Ala-ed-Deen  Pacha,  on  his  arrival  in  the  spring,  had  been  to  set 
them  all  free,  and  this  he  had  done  before  being  an  hour  in 
the  place :  he  had  moreover  allowed  them  to  live  somewhere 
to  the  north  of  the  town  if  they  wished  to* do  so;  and  many 
of  them  availed  themselves  of  this  permission,  instead  of  return- 
ing to  their  own  country.  It  is  to  be  hoped,  that,  in  the  many 
changes  that  have  recently  taken  place  in  the  country,  they 
will  not  have  been  oppressed  again. 

We  found  a  number  of  Greek  shops  in  the  town,  and  the 


i6 


DHURRA, 


place  was  well  supplied  with  meat.  Greeks  are  to  be  found 
everywhere  :  there  is  no  place  too  out-of-the-way  for  them  to 
thrive  in,  and  they  make  money  wherever  they  go.  A  great 
many  of  them,  besides  selling  bad  spirits,  beer,  and  groceries, 
add  considerably  to  their  incomes  by  lending  money  to  the 
natives,  of  course  at  usurious  rates  of  interest. 

No  vegetables  are  grown,  and  the  whole  of  the  surrounding 
country  is  desert.  The  nearest  village  is  Tokar  on  Khor  Baraka, 
two  days'  journey  away;  and  there,  after  the  rains,  a  little 
dhurra  is  grown.  Dhurra  (the  sorghum  viilgare  of  Linnaeus) 
is  the  staple  article  of  food  throughout  the  Soudan  :  it  contains 
a  great  deal  of  starch,  and  is  said  to  be  more  nourishing  than 
wheat-flour.  The  natives  cook  it  in  a  variety  of  ways,  and 
add  beans  or  onions,  when  obtainable,  to  it.  Horses  will  not 
thrive  unless  they  get  a  daily  supply  of  it,  and  a  small  quantity 
is  of  great  use  in  keeping  the  riding-camels  in  good  condition. 
In  crossing,  too,  such  a  desert  as  that  between  Korosko  and 
Abou  Hamed,  it  is  necessary  to  carry  some  for  the  baggage- 
camels  as  well :  it  is  wonderful  on  how  little  food  they  can  do, 
when  pushed  to  it. 

A  Greek  has  set  up  a  small  shanty,  which  he  dignifies  by  the 
title,  "  Hotel  du  Soudan,"  and  advertises  hot  and  cold  baths. 
Fortunately  we  had  no  occasion  to  try  its  merits,  otherwise 
than  by  sending  some  clothes  to  his  wife  to  be  washed :  for 
these  she  charged  us  at  the  rate  of  two  dollars  per  dozen, 
counting  a  pair  of  socks  as  two  articles ;  so  that  what  they 
lacked  in  custom,  they  evidently  tried  to  make  up  in  their 
prices,  when,  as  they  say  in  America,  a  stranger  happened  to 
come  along." 

Beyond  the  island  on  which  the  town  is  built,  Souakim  con- 
tinues for  some  distance  in  suburbs,  containing  a  somewhat 
extensive  if  not  very  inviting  bazaar. 


ARABS  LIKE  ANCIENT  EGYPTIANS. 


17 


The  camel-drivers,  who  mostly  belong  to  the  Hadendowa 
tribe,  live  on  the  mainland.  Most  of  them  wear  long  hair 
standing  up  straight  on  the  crown  of  the  head,  and  of  a  fine 
but  woolly  texture,  while  that  at  the  back  of  the  head  generally 
reaches  to  the  shoulders,  and  is  sometimes  worn  in  plaits  : 
when  properly  dressed,  the  whole  is  covered  with  fat,  and  a 
wooden  skewer,  by  way  of  comb,  stuck  in  it.  We  saw  one  or 
two  men  with  their  heads  covered  with  fat  that  had  been  mixed 
with  grated  sandalwood,  and  presented  a  red-ochre  appearance  : 
these,  we  were  informed,  were  about  to  enter  the  marriage- 
state. 

The  hair  is,  with  all  Arabs,  a  source  of  pride  ;  and  the  men 
of  various  tribes  may  frequently  be  distinguished  by  little  dif- 
ferences in  their  mode  of  dressing  it. 

No  traveller  in  these  parts  can  fail  to  be  struck  by  the  great 
similarity  in  physique,  and  general  appearance,  of  many  of  the 
wandering  tribes  of  Arabs,  to  the  ancient  Egyptians  as  depicted 
on  the  walls  of  their  temples  and  tombs.  The  mode  of  wearing 
the  hair  is  identical ;  the  curious  little  w^ooden  pillows  they 
use  for  their  heads  when  sleeping  are  exactly  of  the  same  form 
and  make  as  those  which  may  be  seen  in  museums  containing 
ancient  Egyptian  curiosities  ;  as,  too,  are  also  the  chairs  that 
they  use.  A  very  intelligent  Greek,  whom  we  afterwards  met 
in  Cassala,  and  who  had  given  some  attention  to  the  study  of 
the  language  spoken  by  the  Hadendowa  Arabs  in  the  neigh- 
bouring country,  and  had,  moreover,  some  knowledge  of  hiero- 
glyphics, told  us  that  there  was  often  a  striking  similarity  in 
many  of  their  words. 

My  brother  Arthur  in  1877  made  the  journey  from  Souakim 
to  Cassala ;  meeting  the  rest  of  the  party,  who  had  taken  the 
Nile  route,  in  the  interior.  He  had  with  him  a  Hadendowa 
Arab,  who  had  originally  started  as  guide  to  the  caravan  from 


i8 


AN  ARAB'S  HAIR-DRESSING. 


Souakim  to  Cassala;  and  this  Arab  accompanied  him  all  the 
way  to  Cairo.  Throughout  this  journey,  his  hair  was  a  constant 
source  of  anxiety  to  him.  He  could  not  dress  it  himself,  and, 
on  leaving  Cassala,  was  soon  beyond  the  region  of  his  own 
tribe.  His  delight  was  unbounded  when  he  met  a  woman  of 
his  own  people  on  the  Atbara  River,  who,  on  being  rewarded 
for  her  pains  by  the  promise  of  an  empty  beer-bottle,  under- 
took to  dress  his  hair,  —  a  process  that  occupied  a  good  two 
hours.  He  reclined,  during  the  process,  with  his  head  in  the 
lady's  lap ;  and  the  crowning  joy  of  all  was  anointing  the 
plaited  tresses  with  the  musky  fat  of  the  crocodile,  the  horrible 
odour  of  which  clung  to  him  for  days,  to  Jiis  great  satisfaction, 
but  to  the  great  discomfort  of  our  olfactory  nerves. 

The  largest  building  in  Souakim  is  a  storehouse  and  cara- 
vanserai in  one,  built  on  the  mainland.  It  was  erected  by  a 
native,  for  the  merchants  to  leave  their  goods  in  while  waiting 
for  transport,  and  cost  eighty  thousand  dollars.  It  was  built 
almost  entirely  by  slave-labour,  otherwise  it  would  have  cost 
fully  a  third  more.  The  builder  and  owner  was  formerly  a 
government  employe,  at  a  hundred  and  fifty  piastres  (or  about 
thirty-one  shillings)  a  month  ! 

During  our  stay  at  Souakim,  we  were,  of  course,  very  busy 
arranging  and  re-arranging  our  luggage.  Sir  Edward  Malet, 
H.  B.  M.'s  consul-general  in  Egypt,  had  very  kindly  tele- 
graphed from  Cairo  to  have  camels  ready  for  us.  His  telegram, 
I  have  no  doubt,  hastened  matters  ;  but  there  is  always  consid- 
erable delay  in  making  a  start. 

Sheik  Attman  Galani,  the  sheik  of  the  camels  that  traverse 
the  Cassala  road,  — a  very  fine-looking  Arab,  with  a  great  idea 
of  driving  a  bargain,  —  paid  us  several  visits  before  we  finally 
arranged  matters. 

We  went  out  fishing  once  or  twice,  but  did  not  catch  much, 


STORY  OF  SEVEN  VIRGINS. 


19 


our  chief  capture  being  a  ground-shark  weighing  eleven 
pounds.  The  amount  and  variety  of  fish  in  these  waters  are 
something  extraordinary,  and  many  of  them  are  of  the  most 
gorgeous  colours ;  but,  to  meet  with  much  success,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  go  some  little  distance  outside  the  harbour,  where  we 
found  the  water  often  unpleasantly  rough  when  anchored  and 
fishing  from  a  small  boat ;  and  we  were,  moreover,  so  busy 
making  preparations  for  our  departure,  that  we  had  no  time  for 
lengthy  excursions. 

One  afternoon  some  of  the  Greeks  of  the  place,  together  with 
Mr.  Bewley,  went  off  to  a  sandy  island  to  shoot  sand-grouse 
that  some  Arab  boys  had  caught.  It  was  quite  Hurlingham  in 
Africa;  but  the  birds  were  thrown  up  in  the  air,  instead  of 
being  released  from  traps,  and  very  difficult  shots  they  proved. 

The  derivation  of  the  word  Souakim,  or  Souakin  (for  it  is 
spelled  indifferently  both  ways),  is  a  curious  one.  In  the  lan- 
guage of  the  country,  it  is  called  Sowagin  (Anglice\  "  together 
with  the  gin,  or  fairy").  The  story  runs,  that  seven  virgins 
inhabited  an  island  in  the  Red  Sea,  where  there  were  no  men, 
or  people  of  any  kind  except  themselves.  Some  fishermen  one 
day  visited  the  island,  and  found  the  women  enceinte.  Their 
offspring  colonised  the  mainland,  and  founded  Souakim  ;  and 
the  present  inhabitants  are  descended  from  them.  The  ladies 
declared  that  genii  were  the  fathers  of  their  children. 

We  were  very  glad  to  turn  our  backs  on  Souakim,  and  make 
a  start  for  the  interior,  which  we  did  on  Dec.  15,  about  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  We  left  behind  the  two  officers  of 
the  "  Blues,"  who  had  travelled  with  us  from  Suez  :  they  were 
busy  buying  camels,  always  a  very  slow  and  troublesome 
undertaking.  They  got  off,  however,  soon  after  we  did,  and 
by  following  the  bed  of  Khor  Baraka,  and  the  Anseba,  reached 
Keren.    From  thence  they  made  their  way  to  Furfur,  on  the 


20 


HIRING  AND  BUYING  CAMELS. 


borders  of  the  Dembelas  country  (where  we  had  been  the  pre- 
vious winter),  but  were  rather  disappointed  with  the  sport  they 
obtained.  One  of  them  succeeded  in  penetrating  to  some  of 
the  Dembelas  villages,  —  a  feat  that  had  only  been  previously 
accomplished  by  the  Marquis  Antinori,  the  Italian  traveller, 
the  country  being  almost  terra  incognita :  he  reported  it  to  be 
very  hilly,  and  impassable  for  camels,  but  found  the  people 
friendly,  possessing  better  houses  than  their  neighbours  who 
were  under  Egyptian  government,  and  he  observed  more  ap- 
pearance of  cultivation.    He  saw  very  little  game. 

Most  of  our  provisions  we  had  brought  from  England,  which 
we  found  more  economical  than  getting  them  in  Cairo.  Our 
outfit  had  been  chiefly  obtained  from  Silver  in  Cornhill,  and 
nearly  every  thing  we  got  from  him  proved  satisfactory. 

We  paid  five  dollars  and  a  half  each  for  our  camels  to  Cas- 
sala,  a  distance  of  about  two  hundred  and  eighty  miles.  Our 
personal  property  in  beasts  of  burden,  which  was  destined  after- 
wards to  increase  to  considerable  proportions,  commenced  from 
this  date.  My  brother  Arthur  bought  a  very  good  hygeen,  or 
riding-camel,  at  the  upset  price  of  a  hundred  dollars.  He  had 
formerly  belonged  to  Ala-ed-Deen  Pacha,  and,  though  slow,  was 
very  easy  in  gait,  a  great  desideratum.  His  name  was  "Bel- 
lus;"  though  what  "Bellus"  means,  I  am  sure  I  don't  know. 
My  other  brother  also  bought  a  hygeen  from  an  Arab,  who  rode 
after  us  with  it,  when  we  had  gone  an  hour  from  the  town  ;  for 
this  animal  he  gave  forty  dollars,  and  forthwith  christened  him 
Snodgrass."  These  camels  brought  them  both  back  eventu- 
ally to  the  coast,  but  they  were  about  done  for  when  they 
arrived. 

Colvin  and  Aylmer  each  bought  a  horse,  the  only  specimens 
of  the  equine  race  of  which  Souakim  could  boast  ;  they  were 
wiry  little  animals,  and  came  from  the  Hamran  country.  Al- 


AN  UNCOMFORTABLE  START. 


21 


though  they  carried  them  to  Cassala,  they  never  recovered 
from  the  hardships  of  the  long  desert-journey,  and  one  of  them 
died  soon  after  its  arrival  there. 

Most  people,  after  they  have  once  become  used  to  them,  find 
camels  far  less  fatiguing  to  ride  than  horses,  for  long  desert- 
journeys  ;  and  they  are  certainly  much  more  suitable  to  the 
country. 

A  most  uncomfortable  start  we  made  from  Souakim :  the 
rain,  which  we  had  been  daily  favoured  with,  came  down  in  tor- 
rents soon  after  our  departure.  Although  in  the  winter  months 
rain  is  unknown  in  the  interior,  at  the  time  we  landed  in  Africa 
it  was  the  season  of  coast-rains ;  and  rain  might  be  daily  ex- 
pected until  we  could  put  some  miles  between  us  and  the  sea. 


CHAPTER  III. 


The  First  Halt.  —  The  Rainy  Season.  —  The  Camel-sheik  comes  for  Baksheesh.  — 
Three  Caravan-routes  to  Cassala.  —  Disputes  with  the  Camel-drivers.  —  Gazelles. 
—  Management  of  Camels.  —  Halt  at  Siterabb.  —  A  Piteous  Tale. 

In  a  regular  African  deluge,  and  wet  to  the  skin,  we  pitched 
the  tents.  Some  of  the  provisions  became  saturated  with  rain, 
which  got,  too,  into  our  portmanteaus.  The  drivers  were  all 
quarrelling  about  their  loads,  and  our  halt  for  the  night  was 
made  only  an  hour  and  a  half's  march  out  of  the  town.  The 
camel-drivers  always  try  to  accomplish  this,  as  they  say  it 
enables  them  to  run  back  if  they  have  forgotten  any  thing : 
it  means,  of  course,  too,  a  late  start  on  the  following  day. 

The  Egyptian  tents  we  had  had  made  in  Cairo  were  decid- 
edly fine-weather  tents,  and,  although  admirably  adapted  to  a 
dry  climate,  were  not  so  agreeable  for  a  wet  one.  Tents  soon 
spoil  if  often  packed  up  wet,  as  they  get  mildewed,  and  rot. 
We  consoled  ourselves  with  the  reflection  that  the  bad  weather 
could  not  last  long.  The  rain  stopped  before  we  went  to  bed, 
but  came  down  faster  than  ever  in  the  night ;  and  we  had  to 
jump  out  of  bed  to  rescue  bags  and  clothes,  and  set  to  work  to 
dig  trenches  round  our  tents  to  drain  the  rain  off,  —  a  precau- 
tion that  had  been  neglected  before  going  to  bed. 

The  natives  were  delighted  with  the  rain ;  for,  although  it 
was  the  season  when  they  expected  it,  it  often  happens  at  Sou- 
akim  that  there  is  none,  or  next  to  none  at  all,  during  the  whole 
year. 

22 


A  GREEN  DESERT. 


23 


The  desert  was  carpeted  with  the  most  beautiful  grass  of  a 
very  vivid  green ;  the  dwarf-mimosa  bushes,  of  which  there 
were  plenty,  were  bursting  into  leaf ;  and  the  plain  was  covered 
with  cattle,  goats,  and  sheep,  while  numbers  of  camels  wan- 
dered from  bush  to  bush,  or  grazed  on  the  fresh  grass,  a  rare 
treat  to  all  animals  in  these  regions. 

The  cows  in  these  parts  often  prove  very  obstinate  when 
they  are  wanted  to  keep  quiet  in  order  to  be  milked.  The 
natives  often  resort  to  the  expedient  of  holding  a  calf-skin, 
which  the  cow  to  be  milked  has  previously  smelt,  at  some  little 
distance  from  her  nose  ;  then  she  will  keep  quiet,  and  submit 
to  the  process  of  milking,  without  any  further  trouble. 

The  next  day,  although  we  rose  at  dawn,  it  was  nearly  noon 
before  our  camels  were  loaded,  and  a  fresh  start  made ;  more 
rain  falling  during  the  process  of  packing.  The  camel-sheik, 
intent  on  baksheesh,  arrived  while  we  were  at  breakfast :  we 
gave  him  a  small  present,  and  promised  him  the  same  on  our 
return,  if  our  camels,  and  the  men  in  charge  of  them,  proved 
satisfactory. 

There  are  three  roads  between  Souakim  and  Cassala,  all 
more  or  less  traversed  by  caravans.  The  one  we  took  kept  close 
to  the  telegraph-wires  the  whole  way,  and  is  the  shortest.  A 
second  follows,  for  the  greater  part  of  the  way,  Khor  Baraka,' 
and,  although  considerably  longer,  is  probably  more  agreeable, 
as  there  is  more  shade  and  water  by  this  route.  Khor  Baraka 
runs  into  the  sea  a  little  to  the  south  of  Souakim,  near  Tokar. 

The  third  road  follows,  almost  all  the  way,  a  mountain  range, 
a  little  to  the  west  of  our  route.  The  Arabs  said  there  was 
more  water  on  that  road  than  on  the  one  we  took ;  but  it  is 
rather  longer,  and  very  stony,  which  is  trying  to  the  camels 

'  ICkor  signifies  a  stream  or  river  that  only  flows  during  the  rainy  season,  and  is  quite  dried 
up  during  the  dry.    Bahr  means  a  flowing  river  that  never  dries  up. 


24  TROUBLE  WITH  CAMEL-DRIVERS. 


with  their  spongy  feet,  especially  when  they  are  laden.  On 
our  route,  there  was  scarcely  any  grass  the  whole  way ;  and 
what  there  was,  was  of  course,  at  the  season  of  the  year  in 
which  we  travelled,  completely  burnt  up  ;  it  was  mostly  very 
fine  in  texture,  and  as  brittle  as  spun-glass.  The  grass  that  had 
sprung  up  in  consequence  of  the  rain  lasted  only  for  twenty  or 
thirty  miles  after  leaving  the  town,  by  which  time  we  got  out 
of  the  rainy  zone. 

The  greater  part  of  the  country  was  sparsely  covered  with 
mimosa-bushes,  mostly  leafless  during  the  dry  season,  and  af- 
fording no  shade.  In  some  places  there  were  bushes  covered 
with  leaves  of  a  most  brilliant  green.  The  branches,  and  espe- 
cially the  roots,  of  this  shrub  {Capparis  sodata),  are  much  prized 
by  the  Arabs  as  tooth-brushes  :  they  are  very  fibrous,  but  I 
doubt  if  they  have  any  special  cleansing  properties. 

The  teeth  of  these  dark-skinned  people  are  nearly  always 
very  white :  this  is,  no  doubt,  partly  due  to  their  very  simple 
diet,  and  also  it  is  certain  that  the  strong  contrast  afforded  by 
their  dark  skins  makes  them  appear  whiter  than  they  are  in 
reality. 

We  commenced  to  have  trouble  with  our  camel-drivers  on 
the  second  day's  journey  from  Souakim.  The  caravan  had 
been  allowed  to  go  on  ahead,  as  we  had  stopped  behind  with 
the  camel-sheik,  trying  to  bargain  for  another  hygceu,  but 
without  coming  to  terms  ;  and,  on  overtaking  it,  we  found  the 
camels  were  off  feeding,  and  their  loads  on  the  ground.  We 
were  anxious  to  get  out  of  the  rains  as  quickly  as  possible,  and 
had  given  orders  that  they  were  to  make  a  late  march.  Sulei- 
man and  the  other  servants  had  done  all  in  their  power  to  make 
them  continue  their  journey;  but  the  camel-drivers  had  insisted 
on  stopping  at  four  o'clock,  after  a  march  of  less  than  five 
hours.    On  being  pressed  to  go  on,  they  had  threatened  Sulei- 


RATE  OF  PROGRESS. 


25 


man  with  their  spears,  which  had  been  taken  away  from  them, 
and  tied  together  in  a  bundle. 

It  was  not  only  important  that  we  should  get  out  of  the  rains 
as  quickly  as  possible,  but  more  so  that  we  should  let  the  men 
see,  at  the  very  outset  of  our  journey,  that  we  were  the  masters, 
not  they,  and  that  they  w^ere  to  do  as  they  were  told.  Accord- 
ingly we  insisted  on  their  loading  up  again,  which  they  did  very 
quickly;  and  just  at  dusk  we  resumed  our  march,  not  halting 
until  9. 15. 

On  our  right  was  a  high  range  of  mountains,  through  which 
led  the  road  to  Berber ;  while  on  our  left  a  level,  sandy  plain, 
covered  with  green  grass  and  low  scrub,  stretched  to  the  sea. 

We  experienced  great  difficulty  in  pitching  our  tents  in  the 
dark,  as  most  of  the  men  were  new  to  the  work ;  and  as  we 
were  only  just  commencing  our  expedition,  no  one  knew  where 
any  thing  was,  nor  what  was  required  of  him.  Every  thing 
was  wet,  and  it  was  very  difficult  to  make  charcoal  burn ;  so 
that  it  was  12.30  before  we  had  dined  and  could  go  to  bed. 

We  had  seen  a  few  gazelle  {Gazella  Aralnca),  and  a  herd  of 
ariel  {Gazella  Dama),  but  all  very  shy.  Each  year  they  become 
less  numerous  on  the  caravan-routes ;  and  my  brother  Arthur, 
the  only  one  of  the  party  who  had  made  the  journey  before, 
said  they  were  far  less  common  than  when  he  passed  over  the 
same  road  four  years  before. 

The  following  day  we  got  an  eight-hours'  march  out  of  our 
camels,  and  without  any  great  difficulty  with  the  drivers  :  they 
had  begun  to  know  their  loads,  and  the  inevitable  squabbling 
that  takes  place  at  starting  was  nearly  over. 

An  eight-hours'  march  for  the  caravan  is  as  much  as  can  be 
accomplished  with  comfort.  As  soon  as  the  loads  are  taken 
off  at  night,  the  camels  are  turned  out  to  feed ;  at  dusk,  unless 
there  is  a  moon,  they  must  be  collected  in  camp  again,  to  be 


26 


A  PITEOUS  TALE. 


driven  out  to  feed  at  break  of  day.  To  accomplish  more  in 
the  day  than  eight  hours,  means  getting  up  at  a  more  than 
abnormally  early  hour,  and  continually  hustling  the  camel 
drivers  to  bring  in  their  camels  ;  or,  it  means  pitching  your 
tents  in  darkness,  and  getting  dinner  very  late.  In  eight 
hours  the  caravan  will  accomplish  twenty  miles,  and  the  same 
distance  can  be  got  over  on  fair  hygeens  in  about  four  or  five. 
The  start  should  be  made  in  advance  of  the  baggage-camels, 
so  as  to  allow  plenty  of  time  for  shooting,  and  for  the  midday 
halt. 

Besides  the  discomfort  to  the  traveller  if  camels  are  con- 
stantly pressed  to  do  more  than  eight  hours,  they  do  not  get 
sufficient  time  to  feed  ;  as,  when  on  the  march,  all  they  can 
get,  of  course,  is  a  mouthful  of  food  snatched  now  and  then  as 
they  are  travelling,  and  they  otigJit  to  have  time  given  them  to 
feed  morning  and  evening. 

The  country  gradually  became  less  green,  as  we  augmented 
the  distance  between  us  and  the  sea ;  heavy  clouds  hung  about, 
the  air  was  close  and  sultry,  and  we  had  some  heavy  showers. 
We  wound  through  some  rocky  hillocks  before  pitching  our 
tents,  and  finally  encamped  in  the  sandy  bed  of  a  kJior,  at  a 
place  called  Siterabb,  near  the  first  water  out  from  Souakim, 
and  where  there  were  a  few  huts  belonging  to  the  telegraph- 
people. 

The  following  morning,  a  very  wretched-looking  old  woman 
came  to  us  with  a  piteous  tale  of  how  she  had  been  robbed  of 
her  all,  —  a  few  dollars  she  had  saved,  —  by  the  telegraph-people. 
I  gave  her  a  dollar,  and  her  joy  was  unbounded:  she  insisted 
not  only  on  kissing  my  hand,  but  my  boots ;  and  I  began  to 
feel  that  there  was  such  a  thing  as  excess  of  gratitude,  —  at 
any  rate,  that  it  could  be  expressed  in  too  demonstrative  a 
manner. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Journey  continued.  —  Buck  Gazelle  shot.  —  More  Trouble  with  the  Camel-drivers. 
—  A  rose-breasted  Shrike.  —  Sand-storm  at  Ellegua.  —  Jules  taken  ill.  —  Death 
in  Camp.  —  Takroori  Woman  abandoned  by  her  People.  —  We  divide  the 
Camp.  —  Mishaps  of  those  left  behind.  —  Christmas  Day  at  Wandi.  —  "Molly." 

The  country,  as  we  travelled  on,  was  monotonous,  but  not 
unpicturesque,  owing  to  the  hills  to  our  north  and  south,  and 
the  glorious  tints  caused  by  the  setting  sun  in  a  tropical 
climate. 

First,  we  traversed  a  sandy  stretch  with  no  bushes  growing 
on  it,  only  tufts  of  dried  grass  here  and  there ;  then,  a  patch  of 
stony  ground,  covered  with  low  mimosa-bushes  without  leaves, 
but  furnished  with  horrible  thorns ;  followed  by  a  similar  waste, 
with  the  addition  of  very  occasional  7iedduk-hush.QS  {RJiammus 
lotus)  This  tree  bears  a  fruit  very  much  resembling  minute 
apples  in  appearance,  about  the  size  of  a  hazel-nut :  it  is, 
however,  not  very  palatable,  being  dry.  Juicy  fruit  is,  perhaps, 
too  much  to  expect  in  such  a  burnt-up  land. 

In  some  parts  of  the  country,  7iebbuk^yx^\i^s>  are  extremely 
common  :  they  are  covered  with  very  formidable  thorns,  as  are 
most  of  the  bushes  and  trees  of  these  regions  ;  the  leaves  are 
always  green,  and,  when  growing  thfckly  together,  form  an  all 
but  impenetrable  jungle.  The  fruit  is  relished  by  the  Arabs, 
as  well  as  by  guinea-fowl,  monkeys,  and  many  other  animals. 

We  saw  very  little  game,  and  what  we  did  see  was  very  shy, 
and  rendered  additionally  difficult  of  approach,  from  the  very 

27 


28 


FIRST  GAME  SHOT. 


open  nature  of  the  ground,  which  made  stalking  any  thing  but 
an  easy  process.  Aylmer  was  the  first  to  draw  blood,  having 
shot  a  buck  gazelle  the  day  before. 

The  next  day  we  had  some  further  trouble  with  our  camel- 
drivers.  We  had  started  ahead  of  the  caravan,  and  shot  a 
couple  of  gazelles,  when  one  of  our  native  servants  suddenly 
appeared,  to  tell  us  that  three  of  the  camels  were  lost.  This 
was  all  nonsense  in  reality,  and  only  a  ruse  in  order  to  give  the 
camels  more  time  to  feed,  and  to  let  the  men  dawdle  about. 
We  turned  back  ;  and,  when  we  met  a  number  of  the  laden* 
camels  that  had  just  started,  we  unloaded  some,  and  over- 
loaded others,  so  that  we  got  two  empty  ones  ;  with  these  we 
returned  to  our  late  camp,  and  loaded  them  with  the  baggage 
that  was  left,  and  which  belonged  to  the  camels  supposed  to 
be  lost.  We  started  them  after  the  others  as  soon  as  possible  ; 
but  it  delayed  us  very  much,  and  we  only  accomplished  a  six- 
hours'  march.  The  lost  camels  were  soon  found,  and  the 
baggage  re-arranged. 

We  passed  some  huts  in  the  afternoon,  near  to  which  water 
could  be  obtained,  although  two  or  three  miles  off  the  road, 
at  a  place  called  Sankcreet :  accordingly  a  camel  was  left  behind 
to  bring  a  supply,  and  we  travelled  on  some  distance  farther, 
before  halting  for  the  night. 

Birds  of  any  kind  were  very  scarce  ;  but  Lort  Phillips  shot  a 
rose-breasted  shrike,  a  kind  of  butcher-bird  I  had  never  met 
with  before. 

Dec.  20  was  a  blazing  hot  day,  and  the  last  on  which  we 
had  any  rain,  and  that  only,  a  slight  shower  early  in  the  morn- 
ing. We  marched  rather  over  ten  hours  to  make  up  for  lost 
time,  journeying  along  a  plain  from  twelve  to  fifteen  miles 
wide,  between  the  ranges  of  hills.  Khor^s  became  rather  more 
numerous,  and  were  wider,  showing  that  we  were  nearing  a 


A  SEVERE  SAND-STORM. 


29 


country  where  there  was  a  greater  rainfall :  otherwise  it  wore 
much  the  same  aspect,  except  for  occasional  rt7/^;^;;/-palms 
Cucifcra  T/iebaica),  a  new  feature  in  the  landscape. 

A  long  halt  being  made  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  darkness 
overtook  us  ;  and,  losing  what  there  was  in  the  way  of  a  path, 
we  began  to  think  the  night  would  be  spent  in  the  open 
without  any  dinner.  Our  servants  lighted  great  fires  to  guide 
us  to  the  tents,  and  fired  shots,  so  that  at  last  camp  was 
reached,  but  very  late,  as  we  had  gone  a  considerable  distance 
out  of  our  way,  the  direct  road  having  left  the  telegraph-poles 
une  distance  on  its  right.  As  a  rule,  the  camel-path  and  the 
V  ire  kept  close  together. 

In  the  night  a  tremendous  wind  got  up ;  and  all  hands 
were  busy  driving  in  extra  tent-pegs,  and  tightening  the 
ropes.  The  sand  blew  about  in  all  directions,  and  half  smo- 
thered us.  Sleep  was  impossible,  and  I  never  spent  a  more 
disagreeable  night.  The  name  of  this  enchanting  spot  w^as 
Ellegua. 

The  following  morning  Jules  complained  of  a  bad  attack  of 
vomiting  and  diarrhoea.  Our  men  declared  that  they  must 
stop  until  noon  to  water  and  feed  their  camels,  so  that  we  did 
not  feel  that  we  had  gained  much  by  the  long  march  of  the  pre- 
vious day.  The  water  was  three  miles  away,  in  a  gorge  in  the 
mountain.  In  order  to  hurry  their  movements,  two  or  three 
of  us  faced  the  blinding  storm,  and  went  with  them  to  the 
water ;  and,  what  with,  the  heat  and  sand,  it  was  any  thing  but 
a  pleasant  task.  Had  this  operation,  however,  not  been  super- 
intended, we  should  have  been  at  Ellegua  all  day  :  as  it  was, 
we  managed  to  get  eight  miles  farther  on  our  way,  and  pitched 
our  tents  near  Khor  Langeb. 

The  sand-storm  continued,  and  we  had  the  greatest  difficulty 
in  finding  a  spot  w^here  the  ground  was  sufficiently  firm  to 


30 


SICKNESS  AND  DEATH  IN  CAMP. 


admit  of  our  pitching  the  tents  :  the  tempest,  if  possible,  in- 
creased during  the  night. 

Except  that  it  was  not  so  hot,  it  reminded  me  of  my  experi- 
ence once  in  travelHng  by  rail  from  Suez  to  Cairo.  Then  a 
violent  rhamseen  wind  got  up  after  we  had  started ;  and, 
although  all  the  windows  were  kept  closed,  the  sand  on  the 
floor  was  over  a  quarter  of  an  inch  deep.  Some  of  the  car- 
riages ran  off  the  rails,  owing  to  the  driving  sand  ;  and  in  some 
places  men  had  to  go  on  ahead  to  sweep  it  off  the  rails,  before 
it  was  possible  to  proceed.  The  heat,  too,  was  terrific,  the 
thermometer  in  the  wind  marking  113°  F.  The  sun  was,  of 
course,  obscured  by  the  sand  which  rattled  against  the  carriage- 
windows  like  hail.  It  is  no  joke  to  be  living  in  tents  in  such  a 
tempest,  and  it  must  be  undergone  to  be  thoroughly  understood 
and  appreciated. 

There  were  a  great  many  dhoum-'^2\m^  near  our  encampment : 
previously  we  had  only  found  them  in  ones  and  twos.  There 
were,  too,  plenty  of  tamarisk-trees,  which  were  here  met  with 
for  the  first  time,  and  which  we  were  glad  to  see,  as  they  are 
a  very  favourite  food  of  the  camel. 

We  had  to  remain  where  we  were  the  next  day,  as  Jules  was 
not  well  enough  to  go  on.  George,  too,  was  unwell,  and  lay 
down  all  day  in  the  tent ;  and  Suleiman,  who  was  never  ill, 
complained  that  "his  stomach  bite  him  plenty."  The  storm 
rather  increased  than  decreased,  as  the  day  wore  on  ;  and 
we  had  considerable  difficulty  in  securing  the  tents.  To  add 
to  the  general  cheerfulness,  a  death  took  place  in  camp. 

A  day  or  two  previously  a  small  band  of  Takroori  pilgrims, 
returning  from  Mecca,  had  attached  themselves  to  our  caravan. 
The  Takrooris  came  originally  from  Darfour.  They  have  now, 
however,  settled  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Gallabat,  on  the  Abys- 
sinian frontier ;  and  the  Egyptian  Government  has  given  them 


<'SEE  MECCA,  AND  DIEr 


31 


some  land  on  a  nun:iber  of  years'  lease,  where  they  cultivate 
dJmrra. 

The  day  before,  the  Takroori  band  had  been  joined  by  two 
more  men  of  their  tribe,  whom  we  had  overtaken  on  the  road. 
We  had  not  noticed  them,  and  knew  nothing  of  their  presence, 
until  Suleiman  came  to  tell  us  about  them,  as  one  was  ill.  The 
doctor  went  to  see  what  he  could  do  for  him,  and  found  him 
lying  on  the  ground,  smothered  in  sand,  and  evidently  hi  ex- 
tremis. We  administered  brandy,  and  did  what  we  could  ;  but 
he  only  lasted  an  hour.  The  man  who  was  with  him,  and  who 
said  he  was  his  brother,  borrowed  a  spade  from  us,  and  buried 
him  there  and  then.  He  had  died,  literally,  of  starvation  and 
fatigue. 

It  appeared  that  these  people  had  walked  all  the  way  from 
Gallabat  to  the  coast,  a  distance  of  some  hundreds  of  miles. 
On  their  return  from  Mecca,  owing  to  cholera  at  Jeddah,  and 
in  order  to  escape  quarantine  at  Souakim,  they  had  landed  on 
the  African  coast,  about  a  hundred  miles  south  of  that  port. 
They  were  entirely  without  funds,  and  had  lived  on  what  they 
could  beg  from  the  Arabs,  who  are  often  kind  to  passing  stran- 
gers. Such  deaths  in  the  desert  are  doubtless  of  frequent 
occurrence,  and  are  bound  to  be  so  while  these  long  pilgrim- 
ages are  undertaken,  as  they  often  are,  by  old  men  and  women 
almost  totally  unprovided  with  means,  and  frequently  possessing 
nothing  but  the  strong  wish  to  see  Mecca,  and  die,  which  seems 
to  bear  them  up,  and  help  them  through  apparently  insurmount- 
able difficulties.  The  dead  man's  brother  we  looked  after  until 
our  arrival  in  Cassala,  where  he  left  us,  and  continued  his  jour- 
ney south  to  his  home.  This  event  brought  to  light  a  still 
more  shocking  occurrence  that  had  taken  place  a  few  days 
previously. 

Among  the  Takrooris  who  had  joined  us  soon  after  leaving 


32 


LEFT  BEHIND  TO  DIE, 


the  coast,  were  two  women,  one  of  whom  was  rather  lame.  As 
she  could  not  well  trudge  along  with  the  rest  of  the  party,  they 
simply  left  her  behind  to  die  in  the  desert  ;  although  her  hus- 
band was  with  her,  it  appeared  that  he  was  perfectly  satisfied 
to  do  so.  Unfortunately  we  knew  nothing  of  it,  until  so  long 
after  she  had  been  left  behind,  that  it  was  impossible  and  quite 
useless  to  send  after  her.  She  could  quite  well  have  ridden  on 
one  of  our  camels  ;  but  such  is  the  callousness  to  suffering,  and 
total  disregard  of  life,  among  these  people,  that  no  one  of  the 
drivers  had  thought  of  asking  her  to  do  so. 

A  similar  event  took  place  when  we  were  crossing  the  Great 
Nubian  Desert  from  Korosko,  four  years  before  :  then  it  was 
one  of  the  camel-drivers  that  had  been  left  behind  to  die.  We 
knew  nothing  of  it  for  several  days  after ;  and,  when  we  ex- 
pressed our  horror  at  what  had  happened,  they  considered  they 
had  behaved  in  a  really  generous  manner  by  leaving  him  a  small 
quantity  of  water  and  dJiiirra-?io\\x. 

The  sand-storm  continued  the  following  day,  and  Jules  was 
too  ill  to  move.  We  decided  on  leaving  him  behind,  as  we 
could  not  remain  any  longer  at  a  place  where  there  was  no 
water,  and  scarcely  any  food  for  the  camels  ;  for,  though  fond  of 
tamarisk-bushes,  they  would  not  live  exclusively  upon  them. 
Lort  Phillips  and  the  doctor  remained  behind  with  the  invalid. 

After  five  and  a  half  hours'  march  through  a  decidedly  less 
sandy  country,  we  arrived  at  a  kJior  called  Wandi ;  where 
there  was  more  food  for  the  camels  than  at  the  last  place,  and, 
moreover,  wells  of  tolerably  good  water.  It  was  only  the  se- 
cond watering-place  on  our  direct  route  we  had  come  across ; 
and  there  were  a  few  tents  there,  and  Arabs  with  sheep  and 
goats. 

The  next  day  we  spent  in  camp,  hoping  that  the  rest  of  the 
party  would  overtake  us.    There  being  no  signs  of  them,  on 


NOT  A  ''MERRY  CHRISTMAS:' 


33 


the  following  day,  which  was  Christmas  Day,  I  started  off  by 
myself,  on  my  camel,  to  see  how  they  were  getting  on  ;  and, 
in  an  hour's  time,  I  found  them  under  a  tree. 

They  had  left  the  camp  the  previous  afternoon  late,  so  as  to 
avoid  the  heat  of  the  sun.  Their  camel-men  had  deserted 
them,  and  they  had  lost  their  way  :  so  they  slept  out  under  a 
tree,  which  was  no  hardship,  as  the  nights  were  warm,  and 
there  was  no  dew.  On  the  morning  that  I  encountered  them, 
they  had  made  a  farther  march  of  two  hours. 

When  we  had  left  them  at  Khor  Langeb,  I  had  reminded 
the  doctor  to  see  that  he  had  plenty  of  medicine  with  him  ; 
as  I  told  him,  that,  although  the  Arabs  informed  us  water  was 
near  at  hand,  I  knew  well  from  former  experience  that  they 
were  not  to  be  relied  on  to  speak  the  truth,  and  that  we  were 
bound  to  push  on  to  water,  even  if  it  were  two  days'  journey 
distant.  He  had  assured  me  that  he  had  kept  plenty  with  him 
when  we  parted  ;  and  yet,  thirty-six  hours  after  our  departure, 
all  the  medicine  was  finished.  Lort  Phillips  had  accidentally 
discovered  the  presence  of  dysentery,  and  told  the  doctor  of 
it  ;  when  he  found  that  he  not  only  had  no  medicine  to  check 
it,  but  had  none  of  any  kind  left. 

I  remained  with  Lort  Phillips  while  the  doctor  went  to  the 
camp  for  medicine  :  it  was,  however,  eighteen  hours  after  the 
discovery  that  the  disease  had  turned  to  dysentery,  before  poor 
Jules  had  any  medicine  whatever. 

In  the  cool  of  the  afternoon  we  went  on  to  Wandi,  where 
we  spent  the  rest  of  anything  but  a  "  merry  Christmas." 

Mahoom's  master  had  presented  him,  before  leaving  Eng- 
land, with  a  plum-pudding,  and  requested  us  to  let  the  boy 
know  when  it  was  Christmas  Day,  in  order  that  he  might  regale 
himself  upon  it.  We  did  so  ;  and  he  devoured  it  with  evident 
satisfaction,  doubtless  considering  the  consumption  of  plum- 


34 


''MOLLY'S''   CHRISTMAS  CARD. 


pudding  on  that  day  to  be  one  of  the  religious  ceremonies  of 
the  British  nation,  to  which  he  was  exceedingly  anxious  to 
conform.  He  was  a  perfect  specimen  of  the  genus  heathen, 
trained  on  the  lines  of  Exeter  Hall.  He  had  brought  with  him, 
all  the  way  from  Edinburgh,  a  magnificent  Christmas  card,  a 
veritable  cJief-d' ceuvre  of  De  la  Rue's.  Intent  on  presenting 
my  brother  with  this  work  of  art,  he  entered  his  tent  about 
midnight  on  Christmas  night,  waking  him  out  of  a  sound  sleep. 
I  fear  his  kind  intention  was  not  appreciated ;  as,  being  only 
half  awake,  my  brother  was  not  able  to  take  in  what  it  all 
meant,  and  greeted  him  with  language  that  would  be  any  thing 
but  approved  of  by  Exeter  Hall.  Poor  Mahoom  retired  very 
much  crestfallen  ;  but,  the  amende  honorable  being  made  the 
next  day,  he  was  happy  again.  Mahoom  was  very  much  given 
to  collecting  wild-flowers  ;  and  wearing  a  huge  straw  hat  minus 
part  of  the  brim,  and  clad  in  what  we  imagined  to  be  a  com- 
plete suit  of  his  late  mistress's  underclothing,  which  he  wore 
with  a  cord  round  his  waist,  he  presented  a  well-dressed  and 
decidedly  original  appearance,  as  he  wandered  about  intent  on 
his  botanical  pursuits.  In  consequence  of  the  eccentricity  of 
his  attire,  he  received  the  soubriquet  of  ''Molly." 


CHAPTER  V. 


We  divide  the  Camp.  —  Part  start  for  Cassala.  —  The  Rest  remain  at  Wandi. — 
Continued  Ilhiess  of  Jules.  —  Dhurra  runs  short.  —  Departure  from  Wandi. — 
Khor  Belag.  —  News  of  the  First  Party. — A  Deserted  Village.  —  Omri.  —  The 
Belgian  Doctor.  —  Halt  at  Khor  Rassay.  —  Pharaoh's  Lean  Kine.  —  Desolate 
Tract  of  Country.  —  Scorpions. 

We  decided  on  splitting  camps ;  one-half  of  the  party,  with  the 
bulk  of  the  luggage,  to  go  on  to  Cassala,  so  as  to  arrange,  as  far 
as  possible,  for  another  start  by  the  time  the  rest  arrived.  On 
the  27th  they  commenced  their  journey;  leaving  Lort  Phillips, 
my  brother  William,  and  myself  behind,  with  the  doctor  of 
course,  and  Jules.  It  was  very  dull  waiting  at  Wandi :  the 
heat  was  very  great,  and  the  flies  most  troublesome.  There 
was  no  game,  with  the  exception  of  a  chance  gazelle  and  a  few 
sand-grouse,  which  used  to  come  for  water  morning  and  evening, 
when  we  shot  a  few  for  food.  They  are  not  very  good  eating, 
being  dry  and  tasteless,  and  are  grouse  only  in  name  as  far  as 
the  ctnsine  is  concerned,  though  true  grouse  from  a  naturalist's 
point  of  view. 

We  were  at  our  wits'  end  to  know  what  to  do  :  sometimes 
Jules  appeared  to  be  getting  better,  and  then  again  he  seemed 
weaker.  We  thought  at  one  time  of  sending  him  back  to  Soua- 
kim  with  George  and  the  doctor,  but  eventually  concluded  to 
take  him  on  to  Cassala.  We  were  about  half  way  between  the 
two  places ;  and  one  objection  to  sending  him  back  to  England 
was  the  voyage  home,  as  he  suffered  fearfully  from  sea-sickness. 

35 


36 


A  NOVEL  AMBULANCE. 


We  felt  a  move  would  have  to  be  made  soon,  as  the  dhtirra 
was  getting  finished  ;  the  camel-drivers,  who  supply  their  own, 
had  exhausted  their  supply,  and  we  had  to  give  them  ours. 
The  party  that  had  preceded  us  to  Cassala  had  promised  to 
send  us  some  as  soon  as  they  could  procure  any ;  but  we  knew 
it  was  not  at  all  improbable  that  they  would  not  be  able  to  do 
so  until  they  reached  that  town  themselves.  A  breakdown 
had  occurred  in  about  the  worst  place  where  such  a  thing 
could  have  happened.  Those  that  had  gone  on  ahead  had 
decidedly  the  best  of  it  ;  for  although  they  had  left  us  the 
cook,  and  were  obliged  to  do  their  own  cooking,  they  were 
spared  all  anxiety  as  to  what  was  to  be  done  with  Jules. 

At  last,  finding  that  we  could  not  remain  any  longer  where 
we  were,  and  by  the  advice  of  the  doctor,  who  considered  him 
rather  better,  and  thought  that  it  was  important  to  get  him  to 
a  place  where  such  things  as  milk  and  eggs  were  obtainable, 
the  order  was  given  to  continue  our  journey  ;  and  we  left  Wandi 
on  the  31st. 

We  managed  to  purchase  an  angarcb  from  an  Arab.  An 
aiigarcb  is  a  native  bedstead,  made  of  wood  with  strips  of  raw- 
hide stretched  tightly  across  it.  This  we  fastened  to  a  camel, 
at  right  angles  to  the  animal's  back,  and  supported  on  two 
boxes  :  Jules'  bed  was  placed  on  it,  so  that  he  could  lie  at  full 
length  ;  and,  as  a  protection  against  the  sun,  some  men  we  had 
hired  at  Souakim  made  a  matting  cover  stretched  on  sticks, 
and  fastened  it  to  the  angarcb ;  doors  were  made  in  it,  which 
could  be  opened  or  shut  at  will.  In  this  way  he  rode  as  easily 
as  a  sick  man  could  well  ride  over  such  a  country.  We  tried 
hard  to  get  him  and  the  doctor  off  very  early  in  the  morning ; 
but  the  camels  had  been  out  feeding  all  night,  and  took  a  great 
deal  of  catching. 

We  made  a  six  and  a  half  hours'  march,  and  encamped  in  a 


NEWS  FROM  THE  FRONT. 


37 


khor  called  Belag.  Jules  was  not  as  much  exhausted  after 
the  journey  as  we  expected  to  find  him  :  the  dysentery  had 
nearly  stopped  ;  but  he  was,  of  course,  still  very  weak  from  its 
effects. 

The  country  was  most  uninteresting  and  dreary,  very  sandy, 
with  small  hillocks  covered  with  friable  rock.  We  scarcely 
saw  a  living  thing  all  day.  The  next  day,  the  first  of  the  new 
year,  was  very  cool,  with  a  high  wind  blowing,  but  no  dust,  a 
most  agreeable  change  after  the  heat  we  had  lately  been  expe- 
riencing. The  country,  too,  although  any  thing  but  beautiful, 
w'»s  rather  less  monotonous  than  most  of  that  we  had  lately 
traversed.  The  road  wound  in  and  out  between  low  hills,  so 
th^t  one  could  not  look  far  ahead.  This,  when  travelling  in  an 
unpicturesque  country,  is  far  more  agreeable  than  journeying 
over  a  level  plain  where  you  can  see  miles  and  miles  before 
you  ;  there  is  always  the  excitement  of  a  turn  in  the  road,  and 
the  traveller  can  indulge  in  wonder  as  to  what  fresh  object  that 
turn  may  show  him,  in  even  the  tamest  landscape. 

The  post  arrived  from  the  other  party,  in  the  shape  of  a  note 
fastened  to  a  telegraph-pole,  telling  us^  where  they  had  en- 
camped the  previous  night,  and  that  they  were  all  well,  which 
we  were  glad  to  hear,  particularly  as  Colvin  had  been  rather 
indisposed  when  he  started. 

We  saw  a  few  gazelles,  and  shot  three,  to  the  great  delight  of 
our  men,  who  had  not  been  troubled  with  a  plethora  of  food 
for  some  time. 

We  halted  while  in  the  middle  of  the  day  at  a  place  called 
Hadaiweb,  where  there  was  a  palm-grove,  and  water ;  a  most 
agreeable  change  after  the  country  we  had  lately  passed  through. 
A  short  distance  above  the  palm-grove,  and  on  a  slight  emi- 
nence, we  came  upon  a  deserted  village,  or  rather  cluster  of 
huts,  which  had  evidently  been  inhabited  at  no  distant  date. 


38 


BELGIAN  TRAVELLERS. 


The  last  occupants  had  left  behind  them  cooking-pots,  very 
neatly  made  mats,  and  chairs.  These  chairs  were  exactly  like 
many  of  those  made  by  the  ancient  Egyptians,  to  be  seen  in  the 
Boulac  Museum  in  Cairo,  and  which  I  have  already  mentioned. 
Some  of  the  huts  had  holes  in  the  ground,  where  the  women 
burn  perfumes,  over  which  they  crouch  in  order  to  scent  their 
bodies. 

We  soon  came  to  ;^^^3?^/^-bushes,  for  the  first  time  in  any 
number ;  and  also  came  across  the  aloe,  besides  passing  several 
khors  bordered  with  dhotun-'^2\m's>.  There  were  scarcely  any 
birds  :  doves,  which  usually  abound  everywhere,  were  conspicu- 
ous only  by  their  absence. 

We  made  a  march  of  nine  and  a  half  hours,  and  pitched  our 
tents  in  a  kJior  called  Omri.  There  was  a  considerable  differ- 
ence in  the  temperature  of  the  nights  about  this  time  :  instead 
of  the  mercury  falling  no  farther  than  68°  to  70°,  it  varied  from 
50°  to  55°,  which  was  far  from  disagreeable  after  the  hot  days. 

On  Jan.  2,  while  on  the  march,  we  met  a  Belgian  doctor, 
returning  to  the  coast.  He  had  been  shooting  with  a  gentleman 
whom  he  had  left  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cassala,  and  had 
under  his  care  a  professional  cJiasscnr  who  was  suffering  from 
sunstroke,  and  was  very  anxious  to  return  to  his  native  "  happy 
hunting-grounds  "  in  Belgium.  He  gave  us  a  dreadful  account 
of  the  heat  and  mosquitoes  at  Cassala,  and  the  unhealthiness 
of  the  place  ;  but,  as  I  had  once  spent  a  fortnight  there,  I  was 
not  alarmed  by  his  report. 

Khors  increased  daily  in  number.  We  crossed  one  very  wide 
one  called  Aredey :  it  must  have  been  fully  two  hundred  yards 
in  breadth,  with  a  thick  belt  of  dhoiims  on  either  bank.  As 
there  was  water  a  little  distance  from  where  we  passed  over, 
a  camel  was  left  behind  to  bring  some  on.  We  encountered  a 
jackal,  that  the  Arabs  declared  every  night  set  up  an  unearthly 


PHARAOH'S  LEAN  KINE. 


39 


howling  at  the  grave  of  a  man  lately  dead,  who  had  murdered  a 
number  of  his  fellow-creatures. 

After  an  eight  and  a  half  hours'  march,  we  spent  the  night 
near  a  kJior,  where  there  were  more  birds  than  we  had  yet  met 
with,  and  we  saw  green  paroquets  for  the  first  time.  They  flew 
about  from  one  dhoiim-'^2\vs\  to  another,  uttering  the  most  dis- 
cordant cry.    They  are  the  same  species  so  common  in  India. 

The  following  day  we  contented  ourselves  with  a  six  and  a 
half  hours'  march,  halting  near  Khor  Rassay,  a  more  than 
usually  wide  river-bed,  with  a  perfect  forest  of  dhotmi-'^2Xms>, 
and  wells  forty  feet  deep,  dry  in  the  sand.  Here  were  some  huts, 
a  few  soldiers,  and  the  Arabs  about  had  plenty  of  goats  ;  so  we 
revelled  in  fresh  milk,  a  great  boon  for  Jules.  We  observed  a 
few  cattle  much  resembling  Pharaoh's  lean  kine,  and,  thinking 
to  give  our  men  a  treat,  sent  Suleiman  to  bargain  with  their 
owners  with  a  view  to  the  purchase  of  one  of  them.  He  very 
soon  returned,  saying  that  "  the  black  people  no  sell  hen  bulls, 
only  men  bulls,  this  time  of  year."  Although  of  a  decidedly 
dusky  hue  himself,  he  invariably  evinced  a  supreme  contempt 
for  what  he  was  fond  of  designating  as  "black  people." 

A  camel  with  dJmrra  met  us  here  ;  the  driver  bringing  a  note 
from  my  brother,  to  say  he  had  paid  five  dollars  for  the  camel's 
hire,  and  two  and  a  half  for  the  dJmrra,  —  very  good  pay ;  but 
the  Arabs  are  sharp  enough  in  finding  out  when  you  must  have 
things,  and  one  sometimes  has  to  pay  accordingly.  The  camel 
had  come  from  Fillik,  the  only  village  on  the  road,  and  about 
forty  miles  from  Cassala. 

The  day's  work  had  been  more  than  usually  uninteresting. 
We  crossed  several  khors,  the  country  between  being  as  deso- 
late as  it  is  possible  to  imagine.  The  mountains  we  had  left, 
and  saw  no  more  till  we  came  in  sight  of  the  great  mountain  at 
the  foot  of  which  lies  Cassala,  and  found  ourselves  in  a  wide 


40 


SCORPIONS. 


and  stony  plain,  with  a  few  stunted  mimosa-bushes  growing 
here  and  there.  The  heat,  too,  was  very  great,  and  we  saw  no 
game.  The  next  two  days'  journeys,  however,  were  even  more 
trying.  We  had  thought  the  country  could  not  become  uglier 
or  more  monotonous  to  traverse  ;  but  we  soon  found  that  it 
could,  —  a  perfectly  level  stretch  of  country  to  our  right,  termi- 
nating in  the  horizon  to  our  left,  and  in  front  of  us  a  range  of 
hillocks,  at  a  distance  of  some  ten  or  twelve  miles. 

We  occasionally  crossed  a  k/ior  bordered  with  a  few  bushes 
and  sickly-looking  -palms  ;  the  heat  being  intense,  with 

a  total  absence  of  shade.  For  miles  we  passed  over  country 
without  a  bush,  and  covered  with  a  perpetual  mirage ;  then  we 
would  come  to  a  strip  on  which  grew  a  few  dwarf  mimosa 
bushes.  In  parts  the  desert  was  covered  with  loose  stones  :  as 
we  neared  Cassala,  however,  this  gave  place  to  a  fine  loamy 
soil,  which,  no  doubt,  with  rain  would  be  very  fertile.  Once  we 
passed  through  what  had  been,  after  the  rains,  a  ^//?/rm-field. 
Of  animal  life,  we  came  across  a  few  guinea-fowl,  and  saw  a 
fine  buck  ariel,  the  first  of  the  species  we  had  seen  since  pass- 
ing the  herd  near  Souakim. 

While  the  camels  were  being  laden,  we  observed  a  kind  of 
butcher-bird  perch  itself  on  the  back  of  one  of  the  camels,  and 
make  three  darts,  one  after  the  other,  for  something  hidden 
between  the  bags  with  which  the  animal  was  laden ;  at  its 
third  dart,  the  bird  fished  up  a  scorpion,  with  which  it  flew  off 
in  great  satisfaction,  to  devour  it  at  its  leisure.  Although  we 
often  came  across  scorpions,  we  were  fortunate  in  never  being 
bitten  by  any  of  them  ourselves.  Some  of  our  servants,  however, 
who  slept  on  the  ground,  were  not  so  lucky;  and  Ali  the  cook 
was  so  badly  bitten  by  one  that  the  place  did  not  heal  for  weeks. 
On  the  Cassala  road  we  found  a  villanously  ugly  lizard,  that  lived 
in  dead  wood,  and  which  the  natives  declared  to  be  poisonous. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


Arrival  at  Fillik. — The  Gash.  —  Abundance  of  Game.  —  Cassala  reached.  —  En- 
campment in  the  Dry  Bed  of  the  Gash.  —  Caravans  on  the  Cassala  Road.  — The 
Governor  of  Cassala.  —  Servants  sent  from  Sanheit.  —  Death  of  Jules. 

Ox\  the  5th  we  arrived  at  Fillik,  after  two  very  long  marches. 
This  place  is  quite  a  town,  or  rather  a  collection  of  hamlets, 
built  in  a  treeless,  dusty,  waterless  plain  :  all  the  water  re- 
quired by  the  inhabitants  has  to  be  fetched  from  wells  sunk 
in  a  khoi'  some  distance  off,  and  below  Fillik.  The  town,  or 
village,  is  composed  of  conical-roofed  huts,  thatched  with 
<37/?/rm-stalks.  Being  very  straggling,  it  covers  a  great  deal  of 
ground,  and  is  the  permanent  headquarters  of  the  Hadendowa 
tribe :  the  families  of  many  of  our  camel-drivers  lived  there. 

In  the  distance,  a  long  way  off,  we  saw  a  range  of  low  moun- 
tains ;  the  Cassala  mountain  was  ahead,  and  just  in  sight ;  to 
our  left,  and  all  around  us,  was  a  great  dismal  plain,  perfectly 
flat  and  without  any  vegetation.  We  halted  inside  the  tele- 
graph compound.  Soon  after  our  arrival  a  telegram  came 
from  the  governor  of  Cassala,  ordering  the  authorities  to  send 
five  soldiers  to  Wandi  to  our  assistance. 

The  following  day,  as  soon  as  we  had  seen  the  caravan  off, 
we  started  to  look  for  the  Gash,  the  important  kJioi  on  which 
Cassala  is  situated,  and  which,  according  to  the  map,  runs  very 
near  Fillik.  The  ground  fell  a  good  deal  for  some  distance 
after  leaving  the  village.  We  soon  came  to  a  narrow  kJio7% 
bordered  by  very  thick  bushes  and  some  good-sized  trees ;  and, 

4« 


42 


ABUNDANCE  OF  GAME. 


as  there  was  considerable  evidence  of  game,  we  did  not  trouble 
ourselves  about  the  Gash. 

The  natives  told  us  that  a  lion  prowled  about  Fillik,  and  had 
killed  several  people.  We  saw  no  signs  of  it  ;  but  when  we 
met  the  rest  of  our  party,  they  told  us  they  had  heard  its  roar 
quite  distinctly,  having  passed  at  dusk  within  a  couple  of  hun- 
dred yards  of  it,  but,  their  rifles  not  being  handy,  they  had 
concluded  that  discretion  was  the  better  part  of  valour. 

There  were  swarms  of  doves  of  several  varieties  ;  and  al- 
though, as  a  rule,  these  birds  are  extremely  common  through- 
out the  Soudan,  I  am  sure  we  had  not  seen  more  than  half 
a  dozen  since  leaving  the  coast.  Guinea-fowl  were  plentiful, 
and  there  were  many  kinds  of  bright-plumaged  birds,  a  most 
refreshing  change.  The  only  species  of  guinea-fowl  we  ever 
came  across  in  Africa  is  the  one  with  the  blue  comb  and  wat- 
tles. There  were  plenty  of  gazelles  ;  and  we  saw  for  the  first 
time  the  beautiful  Dorcas  gazelle  {Gazclla  Dorcas)^  which, 
throughout  the  remainder  of  our  journey,  was  far  more  nume- 
rous than  the  common  variety  {Gazclla  Arabica),  which  prefers 
the  most  arid  desert.  W'e  saw,  too,  several  herds  of  ariel,  and 
had  no  difficulty  in  securing  abundance  of  venison  for  our  larder. 

Three  Houbara  bustards  were  shot,  and  on  our  arrival  in 
camp  we  found  the  cook-boy  had  caught  one  in  a  noose  :  we 
were  glad  to  discover  sporting  tendencies  in  our  servants.  I 
never  ate  a  more  delicious  bird  than  the  bustard.  It  is  but  too 
frequently  the  case,  that  the  game  of  these  countries  is  dry  and 
unpalatable, — at  any  rate,  it  would  be  thought  so  in  civilized 
countries,  —  but  this  bird  would  be  a  great  delicacy  anywhere  : 
its  flesh  when  cooked  is  dark  brown  and  firm,  very  much  re- 
sembling that  of  a  goose,  and  it  has  a  flavour  entirely  its  own. 
Those  we  shot  were  very  fat,  in  excellent  condition,  and  were 
very  good  eating,  either  hot  or  cold. 


ARRIVAL  AT  CASSALA. 


43 


At  a  place  called  Miskenab  in  the  kJior,  we  found  deep  wells 
of  excellent  water  sunk  in  the  sand ;  and  we  sent  a  camel 
with  the  water-skins  to  fetch  some.  We  made  a  march  of  nine 
and  a  half  hours,  having  an  excellent  day's  shooting  on  the  way. 

Another  long  day's  march  of  eight  and  a  half  hours  brought 
us  to  Cassala,  which  we  reached  on  the  evening  of  the  7th, 
twenty-four  days  out  from  Souakim.  If  there  had  been  nothing 
to  delay  us,  the  journey  should  not  have  occupied  more  than 
twelve  or  thirteen  days.  My  brother  had  accomplished  the 
journey  in  thirteen  days,  four  years  before  we  passed  through 
the  country;  and  that  had  allowed  him  a  whole  day's  rest  on 
the  way. 

Jules  was,  of  course,  much  exhausted  after  the  long  journey; 
but  the  doctor  declared  that  the  dysentery  had  stopped,  and  he 
hoped  with  good  food  and  rest  he  would  soon  begin  to  pick  up 
his  strength. 

The  day  we  arrived,  we  spent  in  looking  for  game  to  the  right 
and  left  of  the  path,  but  did  not  meet  with  nearly  so  much  suc- 
cess as  on  the  previous  day.  The  aspect  of  the  country  was 
different  from  any  we  had  passed  through  :  it  had,  in  fact,  be- 
come quite  park-like,  and  was  dotted  with  numerous  dark-green 
bushes,  very  like  laurels,  and  so  neat-looking  that  they  had 
quite  the  appearance  of  having  been  trimmed,  the  only  draw- 
back being  that  they  sprang  from  dusty  soil  instead  of  from 
green  grass. 

We  found  the  rest  of  our  party  quite  well.  They  had  been 
four  days  in  Cassala,  and  had  encamped  about  a  mile  from  the 
town,  in  the  dry  bed  of  the  Gash,  where  it  was  some  three  or 
four  hundred  yards  wide,  close  to  the  shade  of  a  huge  fig-tree, 
covered  with  dark-green  leaves  that  afforded  most  grateful  shade. 
We  pitched  a  tent  for  Jules  under  it.  Close  by  was  a  garden 
containing  orange  and  lime  trees,  watered  all  day  long  from  a 


44 


DHOUM-PALM  MATTING. 


sakeeyeh,  of  exactly  the  same  kind  as  the  wheel  so  well  known 
to  Nile-travellers  by  that  name.  The  others  had  noc  been  able 
to  do  anything  towards  buying  or  hiring  camels,  and  of  course 
all  those  we  had  brought  from  Souakim  had  to  return  to  the 
coa:st  :  their  drivers  probably  knew  no  other  road,  and  spent 
their  lives  in  going  up  and  down.  Arabs  are  wonderful  fellows 
for  getting  into  one  groove,  and  sticking  to  it,  and  are  not  at  all 
fond  of  "fresh  fields  and  pastures  new." 

We  had  met  extremely  few  caravans  on  our  journey;  in 
fact,  I  never  went  over  a  beaten  track  in  Africa,  and  saw  so 
little  evidence  of  traffic  or  commerce.  One  day  we  met  a  cara- 
van of  seventy  camels  laden  with  dJuirra,  and  mats  made  of  the 
fibrous  leaf  of  the  <7%<?;/;;/-palm.  These  are  made  by  the  women  ; 
they  are  very  cheap,  and  used  for  many  different  purposes. 
Some  of  our  servants  slept  upon  them.  We  always  spread  them 
about  the  floor  of  our  tents  ;  but  great  holes  were  soon  eaten 
in  these  by  the  destructive  white  ants,  and  they  fell  to  pieces. 
When  we  stopped  any  length  of  time  anywhere,  and  the  trees 
did  not  afford  us  sufficient  protection  against  the  sun,  we  erected 
temporary  shelters  by  sticking  poles  in  the  ground,  on  which,  in 
a  very  short  time,  a  kind  of  arbour  could  be  formed  by  means  of 
this  matting :  this  was  far  cooler  and  preferable  to  sitting  in  our 
own  tents  during  the  daytime.  The  caravan  in  question  was  ac- 
companied by  about  fifty  men,  besides  women  and  children,  —  by 
far  the  largest  we  encountered.  Sometimes  several  days  elapsed 
during  which  we  hardly  met  a  camel.  This  was  a  very  different 
state  of  things  from  what  I  had  seen  during  previous  visits  to 
the  country,  when  in  travelling  we  frequently  met  long  strings 
of  a  hundred,  and  even  two  hundred,  camels  at  a  time.  The 
road  between  Souakim  and  Cassala,  however,  though  an  impor- 
tant one,  is  not  one  of  the  main  arteries  for  the  commerce  of 
the  Soudan. 


OLD  SERVANTS  OF  OURS. 


45 


The  natives  had,  so  far,  only  brought  an  odd  baggage-camel 
or  two  for  sale  ;  and  for  these,  though  not  worth  over  twenty 
to  thirty  dollars  apiece,  they  asked  fifty  or  sixty.  We  had  de- 
cided, that,  in  order  to  visit  the  Base  country,  it  would  be  needful 
to  buy  our  own  camels,  as  the  people  had  such  a  wholesome 
dread  of  the  whole  tribe,  that  we  knew  it  would  be  hopeless  to 
endeavour  to  hire  camels  and  drivers  to  take  us  there. 

We  found  the  governor  of  Cassala  very  polite.  He  was  a 
small,  insignificant-looking  man,  who  spoke  French  fairly  well, 
and  seemed  to  give  more  energy  to  the  management  of  his 
affairs  than  most  of  the  Soudan  officials  we  had  previously 
encountered. 

On  leaving  Cairo,  we  had  telegraphed  to  Pere  Picard,  one  of 
the  priests  belonging  to  the  Roman-Catholic  mission  at  Keren 
(or,  as  the  j^lace  is  more  usually  called,  Sanheit),  asking  him  to 
send  to  Cassala  certain  servants  that  he  had  found  for  us  the 
winter  before.  On  our  arrival  we  found  a  small  army  already 
assembled,  four  being  old  hands,  and  several  having  accompa- 
nied them  on  the  chance  of  being  employed.  We  were  glad  to 
see  Salee,  a  most  excellent  tracker,  who  had  proved  his  useful- 
ness the  previous  year,  among  the  number.  The  Abyssinians 
had  come  down,  during  the  summer,  near  to  Keren  ;  and  one  of 
our  old  retainers  had  had  a  father,  and  another  a  brother,  killed 
by  them. 

The  afternoon  after  our  arrival  at  Cassala,  the  doctor  in- 
formed us  that  he  considered  Jules'  condition  to  be  most  criti- 
cal ;  his  pulse  was  very  feeble,  and  he  had  been  obliged  to  give 
him  egg,  milk,  and  brandy,  beaten  up  together,  to  try  and  keep 
up  his  strength.  This  was  the  first  intimation  we  received  of 
his  being  in  a  really  critical  condition ;  we  had  all  hoped,  that, 
as  the  dysentery  had  stopped,  he  would  soon  regain  his  strength, 
as  he  was  of  a  naturally  robust  constitution.    We  had  been 


46 


DEATH  OF  JULES, 


discussing  the  advisability  of  sending  him  to  Sanheit  with  one 
of  the  European  servants,  and  the  doctor  if  necessary,  to  await 
our  arrival  there,  as  we  knew  the  climate  to  be  cool,  and  more- 
over were  sure  that  he  would  receive  every  attention  at  the 
hands  of  the  priests.  The  next  day  he  was  weaker,  and  gradu- 
ally sank,  dying  about  half-past  ten  on  the  evening  of  the  9th. 

I  walked  up  to  the  town  immediately  afterwards,  and  informed 
the  governor  of  what  had  happened,  so  as  to  make  arrangements 
for  the  funeral,  which  we  knew  could  not  be  long  delayed  in  so 
hot  a  climate.  They  made  a  rough  deal  coffin,  covered  over 
with  dark-blue  cloth  ;  and  our  native  servants  carried  him  to 
the  grave  the  next  morning.  A  Greek  merchant,  long  resi- 
dent in  Cassala,  had  given  a  piece  of  ground  for  a  Christian 
burial-place  in  a  corner  of  a  palm  and  lime  grove  inside  the 
walls  of  the  town ;  and  there  we  laid  him,  covering  the  coffin 
with  the  British  flag.  The  heat  was  terrific,  and  the  dust 
suffocating.  To  me  fell  the  painful  duty  of  reading  the  burial- 
service,  —  a  sad  office  which  I  had  never  expected  to  be  called 
upon  to  fulfil.  Two  Greeks  were  the  only  people  present 
besides  our  own  party  and  servants. 

Jules  had  lived  in  Lort  Phillips's  family  for  over  seventeen 
years ;  and  he  was  greatly  distressed,  as  we  all  were,  at  the 
death  of  an  old  and  faithful  servant,  so  far  from  his  home 
and  friends. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Purchase  of  Camels.  —  Expedition  to  the  Atbara.  —  The  Village  of  Naouri. — 
Mosconas  and  his  Son.  —  White  Ants.  —  Dinner  with  the  Governor.  —  The 
Town  of  Cassala. — Hyaenas.  —  Pariah  Dogs.  —  Collections  for  European  Zoo- 
logical Societies.  —  Hiring  Camel-drivers. —  Strike  of  Souakim  Servants. — 
Departure  from  Cassala.  —  ])ashi-Bazouks. 

As  we  found  it  impossible  to  purchase  camels  at  Cassala, 
Colvin  and  my  brother  Arthur  started  off  with  Suleiman,  at 
seven  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  the  loth  of  January,  for  the 
Atbara  River,  where  they  had  heard  plenty  were  to  be  ob^ 
tained.  They  were  back  again  by  half-past  one  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  15th,  having  purchased  a  number  of  baggage-camels, 
which,  taking  one  with  another,  had  averaged  thirty-four  dol- 
lars apiece  ;  a  rather  high  price,  as  there  were  some  poor  ones 
among  them.  The  Arabs  had  not  been  at  all  keen  to  sell,  and 
they  had  experienced  great  difBculty  in  coming  to  terms  with 
them.  They  had  ridden  across  a  flat,  ugly  country,  overgrown 
with  mimosa  bushes,  and,  after  following  the  track  leading 
to  Khartoum  for  about  twenty  miles,  bore  to  the  north-west, 
and  encamped  for  the  night.  After  a  very  early  start  the  next 
morning,  they  separated,  and  went  in  different  directions,  in 
order  to  acquaint  the  inhabitants  of  the  various  villages  with  the 
object  of  their  journey.  This  had  to  be  done  circumspectly, 
and  the  subject  introduced  in  the  most  off-hand  and  careless 
manner.  After  considerable  time  had  been  spent  in  "pow- 
wows "  with  the  sheiks,  or  head  men,  of  the  different  villages, 

47 


48 


PURCHASING  CAMELS. 


they  met  again,  and  pitched  their  tent  near  a  village  called 
Naouri,  on  the  edge  of  a  cliff  overlooking  the  River  Atbara, — 
truly  a  magnificent  stream,  and  the  most  important  tributary 
of  the  Nile. 

Naouri,  belonging  to  the  Shukereeyeh  tribe,  is  forty-five 
miles  from  Cassala.  It  was  a  very  large  village,  containing 
some  thousands  of  Arabs.  The  houses  consisted  of  mat  huts. 
These  huts,  the  natives  take  about  with  them  ;  and  during  the 
rains  there  would  be  no  trace  of  Naouri,  as  the  inhabitants 
move  farther  north,  with  all  their  goods  and  chattels,  to  re- 
turn to  the  same  spot  the  following  year,  when  Naouri  would 
again  be  called  into  existence.  This  place  is  only  a  few 
miles  norlh  of  a  large  permanent  village,  called  Kourashi, 
chiefly  inhabited  by  fakirs,  a  kind  of  dervishes,  who  have 
schools  there.  The  following  day,  about  noon,  camels  and 
their  owners  began  arriving  from  all  quarters.  A  trade  any- 
thing but  brisk  followed.  The  Arab,  like  all  Orientals,  delights 
in  long  bargainings,  time  being  of  no  object  to  him.  We 
had  .  already  lost  a  great  deal  of  time,  and  were  impatient  to 
get  on  :  so,  Colvin  and  my  brother  having  given  a  good  price 
for  the  two  first  camels  offered  for  sale,  it  quickly  opened  the 
market ;  and  acting  on  the  system  of  buying  at  once,  or  send- 
ing the  animal  away,  by  evening  they  found  themselves  the 
possessors  of  about  five-and-twenty  camels.  Although  they 
selected  the  best  they  could  find,  most  had  the  hideous  wounds 
on  the  back  and  hip-bones,  that  the  majority  of  baggage-camels 
have,  which  they  at  once  doctored  with  carbolic  acid.  At 
length  they  came  to  a  very  fine  animal,  without  mark  or 
blemish,  which  they  had  purchased  at  an  apparently  reasonable 
price,  and  which  they  were  consequently  rather  proud  of.  How- 
ever, they  noticed  a  derisive  grin  on  the  faces  of  the  natives 
standing  by;  and,  on  seeking  an  explanation  for  their  mirth. 


A  NIGHT  JOURNEY. 


49 


were  informed  that  the  prize  was  an  aboti  gamdl,  or  father  of 
many  camels,  but  being  old,  and  of  no  further  use  in  that  capa- 
city, he  was  sold  to  us  to  do  what  we  could  with.  At  night 
a  severe  sand-storm  arose,  which  nearly  capsized  their  tent, 
and,  of  course,  filled  every  thing  —  beds,  water,  and  food  —  with 
sand. 

The  following  day  the  purchase  of  camels  was  continued. 
More  cripples  were  brought  in,  which  their  owners  attempted 
to  impose  on  our  party,  inexperienced  in  camel-flesh.  When- 
ever an  offer  was  made,  the  invariable  reply,  accompanied  by  a 
jerk  back  of  the  head,  was  "  Efta  Allah,"  literally,  ''God  open," 
and  so,  "  May  God  open  your  mouth  so  that  you  may  speak  big- 
ger words."  However,  by  about  midday  they  had  completed 
their  purchases,  paid  over  the  money,  and  struck  camp.  They 
then  noticed  a  disposition,  on  the  part  of  the  late  vendors,  to 
abstract  their  camels  :  so  revolvers  were  drawn,  the  camels  tied 
as  well  as  possible  in  the  usual  manner,  —  nose  to  tail,  —  and 
the  homeward  march  commenced  about  five  p.m. 

A  great  deal  of  trouble  was  experienced  in  following  the 
track,  which  they  occasionally  missed  entirely ;  and  it  was  only 
by  observing  the  stars,  that  they  were  enabled  to  keep  in  the 
right  direction,  as  the  natives,  having  sold  their  camels,  and 
having  nothing  further  to  expect,  refused  to  render  any  assist- 
ance, and  in  all  probability  hoped  they  would  lose  both  their 
way  and  their  camels.  They  pushed  on  all  night,  only  stop- 
ping to  re-fasten  the  ropes,  which  for  the  first  few  hours  the 
camels  were  continually  breaking  ;  and  halted  for  a  few  minutes 
at  daybreak  to  allow  time  for  eating  a  few  biscuits  and  dates, 
and  reached  our  camp  at  Cassala  about  two  o'clock  the  next 
afternoon.  After  a  march  of  over  twenty  hours,  and  having 
been  almost  without  food  for  twenty-four,  naturally  they  were 
much  exhausted. 


WHITE  ANTS. 


During  their  absence  we  had  not  passed  a  very  lively  time : 
we  had  shot  a  few  doves,  and  I  obtained  a  marabou  stork,  the 
first  seen.  A  more  ugly,  ungainly  bird  does  not  exist,  and  he 
is  a  regular  scavenger ;  but  the  beautiful  white  feathers  that 
grow  underneath  the  tail-coverts  are  much  prized  by  ladies. 
Marabous  must  be  endowed  with  marvellous  digestive  powers. 
An  Englishman  told  me,  that  when  he  was  shooting  in  the 
Soudan  he  shot  a  lion,  and  soon  afterwards  missed  his  claws. 
He  suspected  some  marabous  that  had  been  lurking  about,  to 
be  the  thieves ;  and,  on  shooting  and  dissecting  two  or  three, 
found  most  of  his  lion's  claws  in  their  stomachs. 

We  saw  a  good  deal  of  a  very  intelligent  Greek,  named 
Mosconas,  and  his  son,  the  latter  suffering  greatly  from  rheu- 
matism. They  were  endeavouring  to  sink  some  wells  between 
Cassala  and  the  Atbara,  and  also  between  that  river  and  Geda- 
riff,  a  town  to  the  south-west,  in  the  midst  of  a  very  rich 
district  where  a  great  deal  of  dJiurra  as  well  as  tobacco  is 
grown.  Although  they  had  gone  to  a  great  depth,  they  had 
not  succeeded  in  reaching  water ;  and  they  felt  that  success 
was  very  doubtful. 

Lort  Phillips  made  a  cross  of  mimosa-wood,  which  is  very 
hard,  for  Jules'  grave,  to  remain  until  he  could  send  a  stone 
out  from  Egypt.  All  wood  perishes  after  a  short  time,  in 
consequence  of  the  white  ants,  which  are  nowhere  more  per- 
sistent than  at  Cassala.  We  had  met  with  them  on  the  road, 
but  to  no  great  extent,  and  had  been  able  to  regard  them 
more  in  the  light  of  entomological  curiosities  than  as  plagues  : 
here,  however,  we  had  to  be  very  careful  not  to  leave  on  the 
ground,  for  any  length  of  time,  anything  that  could  be  injured 
by  their  attacks.  Canvass  sacks,  or  such  things  as  socks, 
they  would  eat  through  in  one  night,  or  damage  so  much  that 
holes  would  very  soon  appear  in  them  ;  they  were  particularly 


A  STATE  DINNER. 


51 


partial  to  leather,  and  committed  great  havoc  among  our  gun- 
cases  and  portmanteaus. 

Before  commencing  their  depredations,  they  cover  whatever 
they  intend  to  eat,  with  earth,  and  work  from  inside  this  cover- 
ing :  this  I  believe  they  do  in  order  to  protect  themselves 
from  their  natural  enemies,  the  black  ants,  which  are  always 
to  be  found  not  far  off,  on  the  look  out  for  them.  The  longer 
we  stayed,  the  more  persistent  they  became  in  their  attacks  ; 
and  it  was  only  by  occasionally  shifting  our  tents,  that  we 
could  obtain  any  peace.  The  boxes  that  contained  our  pro- 
visions, etc.,  had  been  made  with  little  legs  to  rest  upon, 
so  that  they  had  to  build  up  these  legs  before  they  could 
obtain  a  footing  inside  :  nevertheless  they  would  get  in,  and 
we  often  found  quantities  of  them,  and  the  earth  they  had 
brought,  covering  whatever  the  boxes  contained,  the  paper 
used  to  wrap  up  various  things  being  frequently  entirely 
destroyed.  In  this  way,  unless  great  precautions  were  taken, 
cartridges  would  sometimes  get  spoilt.  In  many  parts  of  the 
country,  they  are  so  troublesome  that  it  is  found  cheaper  to 
use  iron  telegraph-poles  instead  of  wooden  ones,  as  the  latter 
have  so  frequently  to  be  renewed. 

One  evening  we  dined  with  the  governor,  in  Turkish  fashion, 
eating  with  our  fingers  instead  of  using  knives  and  forks,  — 
a  not  very  delectable  form  of  entertainment.  The  dinner  was 
served  on  a  large  brass  tray  placed  on  a  circular  table,  round 
which  all  sat,  including  some  Egyptian  officers  who  had  just 
arrived  after  a  long  march,  and  apparently  had  not  fed  for  a 
considerable  time.  Behind  us,  immovable  as  statues,  and  hold- 
ing lamps  above  their  heads,  were  some  five  or  six  White  Nile 
slaves.  The  sweet  and  meat  courses  alternated  throughout 
dinner,  a  rather  trying  ordeal  for  the  European  palate  ;  but,  on 
the  slightest  symptom  of  flagging  on  our  part,  the  hospitable 


52 


CASSALA. 


Bey  immediately  insisted  that  we  did  not  like  our  fare,  upon 
which  we  were  obliged  to  renew  our  efforts.  We  were  pro- 
vided with  an  immense  number  of  dishes,  twenty-five  courses 
all  told,  including  the  inevitable  sheep  roasted  whole,  head  and 
all.  Once,  when  assisting  at  a  similar  entertainment,  the  at- 
tentive host  gouged  the  sheep's  eye  out  with  his  thumb  and 
finger,  and  was  anxious  to  put  it  in  my  brother's  mouth,  a 
mark  of  attention  he  had  some  difficulty  in  resisting. 

After  dinner  we  produced  a  magic-lantern  we  had  brought 
with  us  from  London,  to  the  great  delight  of  a  large  crowd  of 
people  that  had  made  their  appearance  after  the  meal  was  over, 
and  none  of  whom  had  ever  seen  such  a  thing  before. 

Cassala,  next  to  Khartoum,  is  the  largest  town  in  the 
Egyptian  Soudan,  and  contains  a  population  of  about  fifteen 
thousand,  besides  a  considerable  garrison  of  soldiers.  It  is  a 
walled  town,  and  presents  a  very  animated  appearance  every 
morning,  when  crowds  of  people,  men  and  women,  resort  to 
a  large  open  space,  where  they  hold  a  market,  sitting,  many  of 
them,  under  rough  booths  formed  of  matting  supported  on 
poles,  as  some  protection  against  the  fierce  rays  of  a  tropical 
sun ;  here  they  sell  various  kinds  of  food,  cooked  and  un- 
cooked, beads,  gum,  pepper,  beans,  mats,  etc. 

The  province  in  which  Cassala  is  situated  is  one  of  the  rich- 
est in  the  Soudan.  The  country  round  the  town  is  very  fertile  ; 
and  a  certain  amount  of  cotton  of  excellent  quality  is  grown, 
besides  onions,  which  are  very  large  and  mild,  and  somewhat 
resemble  those  grown  in  Spain ;  tomatoes  also  thrive  well,  and 
various  nondescript  vegetables  are  cultivated. 

For  some  miles  up  and  down  the  Gash,  there  are  a  number 
of  sakceycJiSy  or  water-wheels,  of  the  same  kind  as  those  used 
so  much  in  Egypt ;  by  their  means  a  plentiful  supply  of  water 
for  irrigation  is  obtained. 


AN  "AFFREET''  FLOUR-MILL. 


53 


Anything  would  grow  here,  as  the  soil  is  very  rich ;  but  the 
people  are  very  lazy  and  unenterprising,  and  all  they  care  about 
is  to  produce  enough  for  their  absolute  necessities  :  they  do 
not  attempt  to  grow  anything  new.  The  two  great  drawbacks 
that  any  one  would  have  to  contend  against,  who  wished  to  try 
and  do  something  in  the  way  of  growing  such  a  thing  as  cotton 
(which  might  be  cultivated  to  any  extent)  in  the  Soudan,  are 
the  laziness  and  apathy  of  the  inhabitants,  hostility  to  innova- 
tion, and  the  cost  of  transit.  As  regards  labour,  I  really  believe 
it  would  be  necessary  to  introduce  fellaheen,  a  most  industrious 
class,  from  Egypt ;  and  I  understand  that  the  experiment  has 
been  tried  to  a  very  limited  extent,  and  with  success,  on  the 
White  Nile.  I  am  afraid  that  very  few  of  the  agriculturists  of 
the  Soudan  have  studied  Adam  Smith  carefully. 

A  few  years  ago  an  enterprising  Englishman,  after  great 
trouble  and  considerable  expense,  built  a  flour-mill  at  Cassala, 
with  which  he  was  able  to  grind  dhurra  for  about  one-eighth  the 
price  the  natives  are  accustomed  to  pay  for  it.  However,  popu- 
lar superstition  was  too  much  for  him  ;  they  refused  to  have 
their  dhurra  ground  in  his  mill,  as  they  said  it  was  affreet,'^ 
or  pertaining  to  the  devil.  So,  after  struggling  on  for  some 
time,  he  was  obliged  to  give  it  up ;  and  the  deserted  mill  now 
remains  as  a  memorial  to  the  ignorance  of  the  inhabitants. 

A  great  deal  of  dhurra  was  growing  when  we  were  there ; 
and  caravans  laden  with  this  grain  constantly  arrived  from  the 
south,  a  great  deal  of  it  being  brought  by  the  Arabs  as  taxes. 
The  government  often  buy  it,  paying  the  Shukreeyeh  Arabs 
who  bring  it  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Gallabat  and  Gedariff, 
and  the  Hamrans  when  they  send  any  from  their  country  on 
the  Settite  River,  with  salt  instead  of  money. 

Cassala  is  rich  in  hyaenas,  chiefly  the  spotted  variety,  although 
we  did  not  find  them  as  numerous  as  we  had  done  four  years 


54 


HYENAS, 


before  ;  then  we  saw,  one  night,  fully  a  hundred,  quarrelling  over 
the  dead  body  of  a  donkey.  Aylmer's  horse  died,  and  we 
dragged  its  body  out  on  the  sand,  some  little  distance  from  our 
tents :  we  had  cause  to  regret  having  done  so,  however,  as 
night  was  rendered  hideous  by  the  frightful  noises  of  these 
animals.  Nothing  of  the  horse  was  left  by  the  morning.  They 
are  often  very  bold,  and  would  not  only  come  close  to  our  tents, 
but  one  night  one  of  them  had  the  impudence  to  walk  inside 
while  we  were  in  bed  ;  on  another  occasion,  a  hyaena  absconded 
with  one  of  a  pair  of  hide  sandals  that  had  been  left  close  by 
the  tent-door. 

Occasionally  we  shot  one  or  two,  whose  attentions  were  a 
little  too  marked,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  our  camp ;  but  we 
soon  learned  that  hyaenas  were  a  part  of  the  sanitary  arrange- 
ments of  Cassala,  where  the  whole  refuse  of  the  town  is  thrown 
outside  the  walls,  for  these  animals  to  devour  at  night.  They 
live  in  holes  in  the  ground,  which  they  dig  out  for  themselves ; 
and  we  frequently  came  across  them.  Although  most  cowardly 
animals,  they  are  said  sometimes  to  attack  people,  either  when 
they  can  take  them  unawares,  or  when  they  are  in  very  large 
numbers.  A  short  time  before  we  arrived  in  Cassala,  a  woman 
and  child  were  killed  by  one  as  they  lay  asleep.  The  pariah 
dogs,  too,  were  most  troublesome.  One  night  one  of  them 
entered  our  camp,  and  abstracted  two  sand-grouse  pertaining 
to  Ali.  Suleiman  caught  the  culprit,  and  begged  us  the  next 
morning  to  allow  him  to  "give  dog  kill;"  suggesting,  as  a 
means  of  getting  rid  of  the  animal,  to  give  him  shield  in  stom- 
ach."   Suleiman  invariably  confused  a  spear  with  a  shield. 

Cassala  has  for  a  long  time  been  the  headquarters  of  several 
Germans,  who  are  engaged  in  collecting  wild  animals  to  sell  in 
Europe  to  the  various  zoological  societies  and  menageries. 
When  we  were  there  they  had  captured  several  young  lions,  an 


ANOTHER  DUST-STORM. 


55 


ant-eater,  leopards,  wildcats,  and  various  species  of  antelopes, 
to  say  nothing  of  quite  a  number  of  giraffes  and  ostriches. 
The  giraffes  used  to  be  promenaded  about  the  bed  of  the  Gash 
very  frequently  for  exercise.  We  were  told  they  were  very 
troublesome  to  get  to  the  coast,  as  they  had  most  decided  wills 
of  their  own,  and  required  several  men  to  look  after  each  ani- 
mal. Formerly  large  sums  were  made  by  this  trade ;  but,  like 
many  others,  the  number  of  people  engaged  in  it  has  increased, 
and  the  natives  who  catch  the  animals  expect  more  for  them 
than  used  to  content  them.  A  few  ostriches  were  kept  for 
their  feathers.  We  saw  some  that  had  lately  been  plucked : 
they  had  not  a  feather  on  them,  and  wonderfully  ugly  they 
looked. 

We  were  not  allowed  to  proceed  on  our  journey  without 
again  experiencing  the  pleasure  of  a  dust-storm,  for  which  the 
place  is  justly  celebrated.  Beds,  baggage,  every  thing,  were 
covered  with  a  mixture  of  sand  and  dust ;  eyes,  nose,  and  ears 
full  of  it,  —  the  delights  of  Khor  Langeb  over  again. 

We  had  intended  leaving  a  good  deal  of  our  baggage  behind, 
to  be  picked  up  on  our  return  ;  but  eventually  we  decided  to 
take  it  all  on  with  us  as  far  as  Haikota,  an  Arab  encampment 
on  the  Gash, — the  point  from  which  we  hoped  to  strike  into 
the  Base  country,  —  and  to  leave  some  of  it  there,  as  we  thought 
it  very  probable  that  we  should  not  be  obliged  to  return  to 
Cassala  at  all. 

Having  bought  camels,  the  next  thing  to  be  done  was  to 
engage  drivers.  As  head  man,  we  enlisted  the  services  of  a 
native  of  the  town,  whom  my  brother  Arthur  had  found  on  his 
arrival  in  Cassala,  and  originally  engaged  as  cook :  he  had  ac- 
companied the  expedition  in  search  of  camels  to  the  Atbara, 
and  his  talents  evidently  pointed  more  to  caring  for  those  ani- 
mals than  to  shining  in  the  culinary  art,    He  rejoiced  in  the 


56 


ENGAGING  ADDITIONAL  HELP. 


name  of  Alkai,  and  was  a  Jalyn  Arab  who  had  settled  in  Cas- 
sala  for  many  years.  As  a  rule,  they  are  a  lazy,  good-for-nothing 
set  of  fellows ;  but  he  proved  an  exception  to  the  rule,  and  was 
a  very  hard-working  man,  though  without  sufficient  authority 
over  those  we  had  placed  under  him.  Having  fixed  on  a  head 
man,  the  next  thing  to  be  done  was  to  find  others  to  serve 
under  him.  I  found  three,  and  engaged  them  at  the  rate  of 
five  dollars  a  month  each,  they  finding  their  own  food :  with 
this  arrangement  they  expressed  themselves  as  perfectly  satis- 
fied. We  then  gave  out  that  we  wanted  more  men  in  the  same 
capacity ;  and  the  next  morning  a  whole  array  of  men  of  all 
denominations  presented  themselves,  and  expressed  their  will- 
ingness to  go  with  us.  We  placed  them  all  in  a  row,  and 
selected  the  best-looking  of  them,  making  the  number  up  to 
fourteen  with  those  we  had  previously  engaged. 

We  thought  the  whole  business  was  settled,  as  we  had  prom- 
ised them  the  same  pay  as  the  others  ;  when  back  they  came  in 
a  body,  to  say  they  could  not  go  without  higher  wages.  After 
a  long  discussion,  we  arranged  between  ourselves  to  give  them 
four  dollars  a  month  each,  and  feed  them  as  well ;  instead  of 
five,  and  they  to  provide  their  own  food.  It  seemed,  after  all, 
best  to  feed  them  ourselves  :  we  were  going  into  a  country  of 
the  resources  of  which  we  knew  nothing,  and,  whatever  terms 
we  made  at  the  commencement,  it  seemed  almost  certain  that 
it  would  end  in  our  having  to  cater  for  them. 

Having  decided  on  making  them  this  offer  (a  very  good  one 
for  the  country),  we  had  all  those  whom  we  had  previously 
engaged  up  in  a  line,  and  called  over  their  names,  which  we 
wrote  down, — a  ceremony  that  much  impressed  them.  To 
begin  with,  we  decided  to  have  nothing  further  to  do  with  one 
of  those  we  had  selected, — a  tall,  powerful-looking.  White  Nile 
negro,  who  we  thought  was  trying  to  make  the  others  discon- 


AN  UNSUCCESSFUL  STRIKE. 


57 


tented,  —  so  we  made  him  stand  aside.  On  asking  the  rest  if 
they  would  come  on  these  new  terms,  all  except  three  replied 
in  the  affirmative.  These  afterwards  repented  of  having  refused, 
and  wanted  to  go  with  us ;  but  we  would  not  take  them,  and 
chose  others  in  their  stead. 

This  affair  was  no  sooner  settled,  than  the  natives  whom  we 
had  brought  from  Souakim  struck,  and  all  declared  they  wished 
to  go  back.  We  had  engaged  them  to  look  after  the  horses, 
help  pitch  the  tents,  and  make  themselves  generally  useful ; 
but,  as  they  were  becoming  very  lazy,  we  had  been  thinking  of 
dismissing  them,  and  so  were  not  sorry  to  lose  them.  The 
best  of  them,  a  fine,  tall,  handsome  fellow,  named  Achmet, 
afterwards  repented,  and  asked  to  be  taken  on  to  look  after  the 
horses  (of  which  we  had  purchased  several  at  Cassala) ;  and  we 
acceded  to  his  request.  He  had  travelled  the  previous  winter 
with  two  Austrians  ;  and  we  found  him  most  useful,  particularly 
as  a  tracker,  in  which  capacity  he  excelled.  We  were  after- 
wards very  glad  of  his  services,  and  he  remained  with  us  dur- 
ing the  whole  of  the  expedition. 

We  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  men  to  replace  those  who 
returned  to  the  coast,  but  some  of  them  proved  all  but  useless. 
As  to  the  camel-drivers,  some  of  whom  were  natives  of  Cas- 
sala, and  some  from  the  Mahass  district  in  the  Dongola  country, 
they  were,  as  a  rule,  both  lazy  and  incompetent.  Real  camel- 
drivers  were  not  to  be  obtained ;  and,  of  those  we  had  engaged 
in  that  capacity,  most  had  had  nothing  to  do  with  camels 
previously. 

As  we  had  not  bought  a  sufficient  number  of  camels  to  carry 
all  our  luggage,  we  had  to  hire  a  few  more  to  take  the  rest  of 
it  as  far  as  Haikota,  where  we  intended  leaving  it.  The  gov- 
ernor obtained  the  required  number  for  us,  with  Shukreeyeh 
drivers.    We  were  anxious  that  he  should  dine  with  us  before 


58 


THE  START  FROM  CASSALA. 


leaving ;  but  he  excused  himself,  on  the  ground  of  being  afraid 
of  the  night-air.  Query:  The  nights  being  very  warm,  —  from 
80°  to  85°  Fahrenheit, — did  he  really  dread  them?  or  was  it 
the  fear  of  partaking  of  the  flesh  of  swine,  in  some  hidden 
form,  that  kept  his  excellency  away  ? 

It  was  the  17th  of  January  before  we  turned  our  backs  on 
C.issala,  and  the  mountain  at  the  foot  of  which  it  lies  :  this 
mountain  rises  behind  the  town,  and  is  a  conspicuous  object  in 
the  level  plain  for  miles  around.  Its  sides  are  so  precipitous, 
that  I  doubt  the  possibility  of  getting  to  the  summit. 

On  the  day  of  our  start  we  received  two  or  three  papers 
dated  London,  Dec.  10  :  they  had  arrived  via  the  Nile  and 
Khartoum.  No  mail  had  reached  Cassala  by  the  Red-sea  route 
for  over  a  month,  and  we  expected  it  would  be  a  long  time 
before  we  received  any  news  from  the  outside  world. 

The  governor  gave  us  three  soldiers  ;  and  it  was  arranged 
that  they  were  to  go  with  us  as  far  as  Heikita,  where  we  pro- 
posed making  a  zariba  ^  in  which  to  deposit  what  baggage  we 
wished  to  leave  behind  ;  and  they  were  to  remain  there  to  guard 
it.  We  had  fully  determined  to  take  no  soldiers  with  us  beyond 
Heikita,  even  if  (which  was  more  than  doubtful)  the  Bey  would 
have  given  us  any  for  that  purpose ;  for  we  knew  well,  from 
former  experience,  that  nothing  paralyzed  one's  movements  so 
much  as  soldiers  when  attempting  to  go  off  the  ordinary  beaten 
track.  As  a  rule,  they  are  a  lazy,  idle,  good-for-nothing  set, 
ever  quarrelling  with  one's  camel-drivers,  and  greatly  hated  and 
dreaded  by  the  independent  Arabs  of  the  country  ;  and  no 
wonder,  for  the  soldiers  are  perpetually  bullying  them,  and 


*  A  zariba  is  a  hedge  formed  of  the  prickly  trees  of  the  country,  and  is  in- 
tended for  a  protection  against  wild  beasts  and  men,  should  there  be  any  of  hostile 
intent  lurking  about  at  night. 


BASBI-BAZOUKS. 


59 


think  nothing  of  stealing  their  sheep,  or  anything  they  can 
lay  hands  upon. 

By  far  the  worst  soldiers  in  the  Soudan  are  undoubtedly  the 
irregulars  (Bashi-Bazouks) ;  and  I  can  fully  indorse  the  opinion 
of  Lieut.-Col.  Stewart  in  his  report  on  the  Soudan  recently 
presented  to  Parliament.  In  pointing  out  the  great  harm  done 
by  employing  the  Bashi-Bazouks  in  the  collection  of  the  taxes, 
he  says,  "  Many,  if  not  most,  of  these  men,  are  very  indiffer- 
ent characters.  They  are  mostly  swaggering  bullies,  robbing, 
plundering,  and  ill-treating  the  people  with  impunity.  Pro- 
bably, for  every  pound  that  reaches  the  treasury,  these  men  rob 
an  equal  amount  from  the  people.  They  are  a  constant  menace 
to  public  tranquillity.  As  soldiers  they  are  valueless,  having 
no  discipline,  nor,  except  in  talk,  do  they  exhibit  any  extraor- 
dinary courage." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


Journey  from  Cassala.  —  Game  shot  by  the  Way.  —  The  Dog-faced  Baboon.  —  Arri- 
val at  Haikota.  —  The  German  "  Animal-catcher."  —  Visits  from  two  Sheiks.  — 
Sheik  Achmed  Ageer.  —  Attack  on  the  Beni-Amers  by  the  Base.  —  Fresh  Sup- 
ply of  Camels.  —  Dinner  to  Sheik  Achmed  and  the  German. —  Success  of  the 
Magic-Lantern. 

The  first  day  from  Cassala,  we  accomplished  a  march  of  four 
and  a  half  hours,  travelling  for  some  distance  in  the  bed  of 
the  Gash ;  then  we  crossed  to  its  south  bank,  passed  through 
some  fields  in  which  excellent  crops  of  dhtm'a,  nearly  ripe, 
were  growing ;  and  encamped  in  a  plain  at  some  little  distance 
from  a  large  village,  composed  of  mat  huts,  and  tenanted  by 
numerous  hungry-looking  dogs,  that  barked  savagely  on  our 
approach. 

Not  long  after  starting  from  Cassala,  we  found  it  necessary 
to  disarm  one  of  our  escort,  and,  though  thereby  diminishing 
our  fighting  force,  certainly  added  to  our  own  safety.  Our 
three  Egyptian  soldiers  were  armed  with  guns  of  a  fortunately 
obsolete  pattern,  of  the  use  of  which  they  were  almost  as 
ignorant  as  a  militia-man  of  his  Martini ;  but,  having  more  curi- 
osity on  the  subject,  one  of  them,  while  we  were  on  the  march, 
desirous  of  exhibiting  his  prowess  in  the  use  of  fire-arms,  fired 
at  a  crow  that  was  sitting  on  the  ground.  Owing  to  a  slight 
defect  in  the  sighting  of  his  rifle,  the  bullet  just  missed  one  of 
our  baggage-camels,  and  grazed  George's  arm,  who  was  riding 
on  another  in  the  caravan. 
60 


THE  BAOBAB-TREE. 


6i 


The  next  day  we  followed  a  regular  caravan-route,  which 
ran  not  far  from  the  Gash,  on  its  south  bank.  A  thick  grove  of 
dhoiim-'^2Xm^  lined  either  side,  and  we  passed  one  or  two  small 
villages. 

We  came  across  game,  and  shot  two  ariel  and  a  gazelle. 
Partridges  were  seen  for  the  first  time,  and  one  or  two  added 
to  the  bag ;  a  most  acceptable  addition  to  the  larder,  although 
they  were  not  such  good  eating  as  chickens,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  the  domestic  fowl,  as  bred  in  the  Soudan,  is  a 
most  diminutive  and  skinny  bird.  Lort  Phillips  fired  twice  at 
an  ariel  without  hitting  it,  and  was  surprised  to  find  that  the 
animal  took  no  notice  of  his  shots  ;  it  allowed  him  to  approach 
to  within  a  few  yards  of  it,  when  the  mystery  of  its  apparent 
temerity  was  solved.  The  poor  brute  had  been  caught  in  a 
snare,  which  was  round  one  of  its  hind-legs,  and  which  was 
considerably  injured  by  it.  He  terminated  its  existence  by 
a  shot  through  the  shoulder,  and  sent  it  off  on  the  back  of 
a  camel  to  grace  All's  kitchen. 

We  saw,  for  the  first  time,  the  baobab-tree  {Adamsonia  digi- 
tatd).  This  well-known  tree,  so  frequently  described  in  books  of 
African  travel,  became  henceforth  a  familiar  feature  in  the 
landscape  :  it  is  most  weird  and  elfish-looking,  having  a  gigan- 
tic trunk,  giving  out  branches  altogether  disproportionate  to 
its  size,  and,  at  the  time  of  year  we  travelled,  was  entirely 
without  leaves.  The  fruit,  which  is  white  and  dry,  grows  in 
an  oval  green  pod,  and  has  a  rather  agreeable  acrid  flavour  j 
but  a  little  goes  a  long  way.  The  natives  are  very  fond  of  it, 
and  we  were  told  that  the  Base  frequently  lived  on  it  for  a 
long  time  together  ;  besides  eating  it  raw,  they  pound  it  up, 
mix  it  with  water,  and  cook  it. 

On  the  third  day  out  from  Cassala,  as  we  were  breaking  up 
camp,  we  noticed  a  caravan  loaded  with  dhurra  going  by  ;  and 


62 


LEVYING  BLACKMAIL. 


soon  after,  hearing  a  great  disturbance  going  on  amongst  the 
camel-drivers,  we  rushed  down  to  the  spot  where  the  alterca- 
tion was  taking  place,  and  found  that  the  caravan  had  been 
stopped  by  some  soldiers,  who  were  endeavouring  to  levy 
blackmail.  The  camel-drivers  resisted,  but,  although  numeri- 
cally superior,  were  no  match  for  the  soldiers,  with  their  rifles 
and  sword-bayonets,  which  they  had  no  hesitation  in  using. 
They  had  already  rendered  one  man  Jiors  du  combat,  by  a  vio- 
lent blow  in  the  stomach,  when  we  interfered ;  and  having 
heard  all  sides  of  the  question,  —  or,  rather,  the  question  from 
all  sides,  as  they  all  spoke  at  once,  —  wc  comprehended  that 
the  soldiers,  having  to  support  themselves,  when  on  the  march, 
as  best  they  can,  feel  it  incumbent  on  themselves  to  do  so  at 
the  unfortunate  Arabs'  expense,  backed  by  the  tacit  consent  of 
the  authorities  ;  and,  consequently,  the  appearance  of  a  tar- 
boosh "  or  fez  causes  the  Arab  to  fly  with  his  property.  We 
gave  strict  orders  that  none  of  our  servants  were  to  wear  the 
"tarboosh  "  while  in  this  country. 

Almost  immediately  after  leaving  the  camp,  wc  saw  the 
fresh  tracks  of  elephants,  which  we  followed  ;  they  took  us  to 
the  Gash,  where  we  found  a  good  deal  of  water  on  the  surface 
where  the  bed  was  rocky,  and  narrower  than  we  had  previously 
seen  it.  This  was  the  only  place  between  Cassala  and  Hai- 
kota  where  the  water  in  the  Gash  rose  to  the  surface  of  its 
own  accord,  —  what  the  natives,  in  their  peculiar  Arabic,  call 
inoic/i  sarkit.  MoicJi  is  the  ordinary  Arabic  for  water ;  but 
it  is  difficult  to  find  an  English  equivalent  for  the  word 
sarkit,  an  expression  only  made  use  of  in  the  Soudan,  and 
employed  in  a  great  variety  of  ways.  For  instance,  when  we 
once  stood  a  chance  of  being  lost  in  crossing  a  desert,  by 
nearly  taking  what  appeared  to  be  a  path,  but  which  in  reality 
was  not  one,  and  led  miles  away  into  the  Sahara ;  on  asking 


DOG-FACED  BABOONS. 


63 


where  the  supposed  path  led,  we  were  told,  to  the  atmoor 
sarkit,  the  former  word  signifying  desert.  Again,  on  starting 
off  alone  anywhere,  you  would  be  asked  if  you  were  going 
sarkit ;  meaning,  by  yourself,  without  taking  any  one  with  you. 

Some  natives,  watering  their  goats,  informed  us  that  a  herd 
of  elephants  had  drunk  there  the  day  before  ;  their  marks  led 
in  the  direction  of  the  Settite  River.  These  animals  travel 
great  distances,  and,  when  disturbed  on  the  Gash,  usually 
make  for  the  Settite,  and  vice  versa. 

I  never  saw  more  sand-grouse  than  at  this  place  ;  the  ground 
was  literally  covered  with  them,  packed  so  closely  together 
that  it  appeared  impossible  for  another  bird  to  wedge  itself  in. 
When  they  rose,  as  we  approached,  the  air  was  fairly  rent 
with  their  peculiar  guttural  cry.  The  Arabs  call  them  gatta, 
and  this  word  is  supposed  to  sound  like  the  noise  they  make 
when  on  the  wing. 

There  were  baboons,  too,  sitting  on  the  rocks,  the  cynocepJialus 
or  dog-faced  variety  {cynoeephahis  hamadryas),  hideous  animals 
which  one  frequently  sees  depicted  in  the  ancient  Egyptian 
sculptures.  There  are  two  kinds  in  North-eastern  Africa,  one 
much  rarer  than  the  other.  In  the  spring  of  1881  an  Austrian 
travelled  with  us  in  the  same  steamer  from  Massowah  to  Suez, 
who  had  with  him  sixty-five  of  the  rarer  species  alive  ;  he  was 
taking  them  to  Hamburg,  where  he  made  a  large  sum  by  their 
sale.  He  told  us  it  was  the  first  time  any  had  been  brought 
alive  to  Europe.  Both  kinds  are  very  savage  in  confinement : 
in  a  wild  state  they  are  not  very  shy,  and  often  approach  pretty 
close  to  the  traveller.  They  appear  to  be  regular  in  their 
habits,  visiting  the  same  localities  every  day,  and  at  much  the 
same  time,  in  quest  of  food ;  and  sleeping  every  night  at  the 
same  place,  usually  on  rocks  in  most  inaccessible  places,  to  be 
out  of  the  reach  of  leopards  or  other  enemies.    We  occasion- 


64 


CAMP  AT  ASHBIRAH. 


ally  came  across  the  pretty  little  green  monkey  {cercopitheais 
grisco-viridis),  generally  met  with  only  in  thick  jungle,  and  near 
the  banks  of  rivers.  We  had  bought  several  in  Cairo  some 
years  before,  and  taken  them  to  England,  where  they  proved 
most  amusing  pets.  Two  I  had,  thrived  very  well  for  three 
winters  in  a  stable ;  after  which  I  gave  them  to  the  Zoological 
Society  in  Regent's  Park,  where  they  very  soon  died. 

The  country  gradually  gave  more  promise  of  game,  the  trees 
became  more  numerous,  and  the  covert  thicker.  To  our  right 
was  a  range  of  mountains  clothed  to  their  summits  with  trees, 
among  them  baobabs,  as  well  as  other  varieties,  some  of  con- 
siderable size. 

We  spent  our  third  night  in  the  dry  bed  of  the  Gash,  close 
to  a  large  encampment  of  mat  huts,  belonging  to  the  Beni- 
Amer  tribe,  and  called  Ashbirah,  —  a  very  picturesque  spot. 
There  was  abundance  of  dry  grass  ;  and  numbers  of  sheep  and 
goats,  as  well  as  large  herds  of  cattle,  were  grazing  on  it  for 
some  miles  round  the  village. 

Our  Arabs  declared,  for  some  reason  only  known  to  them- 
selves, that  Haikota  was  too  far  off  to  reach  that  night ;  and 
the  next  morning  we  discovered  it  was  only  three-quarters  of  an 
hour  farther  on,  at  which  we  were  much  annoyed,  as  it  gave  us 
the  trouble  of  packing  up  our  traps,  only  to  unpack  them  again 
almost  immediately. 

Partridges  were  very  numerous,  a  species  of  francolin ;  and 
in  the  long  grass,  and  dwarf  dhoiini-'^'Am  jungle,  where  we 
found  them,  they  rose  well,  and  afforded  capital  sport.  In  open 
places  they  generally  run  on  ahead  of  the  sportsman,  and  are 
most  unwilling  to  rise ;  reminding  one  of  the  habits  of  the 
French  partridge  at  home.  We  shot,  too,  a  fine  male  speci- 
men of  the  Abyssinian  hornbill  {Biizaros  Abassbiiciis),  or  aboti 
giimba  as  it  is  called  by  the  natives.    It  is  a  most  curious- 


HAIKOTA. 


65 


looking  bird,  nearly  the  size  of  a  turkey,  black  with  a  few  white 
feathers  in  the  wings.  The  beak  is  thick,  and  over  it  protrudes 
a  horn-like  substance,  the  front  of  which  is  hollow  ;  it  has  enor- 
mous red-and-blue  wattles.  It  was  the  first  time  we  had  seen 
one,  though  we  frequently  met  them  afterwards,  usually  in 
parties  of  two  or  three ;  but  they  were  extremely  shy,  and  rarely 
permitted  us  to  get  within  gun-shot.  We  also  found  quail  for 
the  first  time,  but  not  in  any  numbers. 

Haikota  is  a  large  village,  situated  in  the  bed  of  the  Gash, 
and  formed  of  the  usual  mat  huts.  We  encamped  on  its  right 
bank,  some  feet  above  the  sand.  It  took  some  time  to  clear  a 
space  for  the  camp,  and  involved  clearing  away  a  number  of 
bushes,  and  cutting  down  a  quantity  of  high  grass.  This  done, 
we  set  to  work  to  make  a  zariba  to  keep  the  Arabs  off  as 
much  as-  possible ;  former  experience  of  such  places  having 
taught  us  that  we  might  expect  them  in  dozens  to  inspect  the 
''"Inglees,"  their  goods  and  chattels. 

Our  camp  we  placed  close  to  that  of  a  German  animal- 
catcher,  a  very  agreeable  fellow,  who  had  spent  eight  winters 
in  the  Soudan,  and  whose  acquaintance  some  of  us  had  made 
four  winters  previously  on  the  Settite.  He  had  built  himself  a 
house,  as  well  as  several  sheds  for  his  animals  ;  and,  when  we 
arrived,  he  had  three  young  elephants  and  fifteen  baby  ostriches 
in  his  compound.  He  told  us  that  he  had  paid  the  Arabs  as 
much  as  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  apiece  for  elephants. 
Every  summer  he  went  to  Europe ;  he  obtained  the  best  prices 
for  his  animals  in  New  York,  which  he  had  visited  twenty-three 
different  times.  As  he  very  kindly  offered  to  take  charge  of 
the  luggage  that  we  wished  to  leave  behind,  we  gladly  accepted 
his  offer,  and  accordingly  dismissed  the  soldiers ;  to  the  evident 
relief  of  the  population,  who  appeared  to  have  a  wholesome 
dread  of  them. 


66 


THE  BENI-AMER  TRIBE. 


The  chief  and,  in  fact,  only  wealth  of  these  Beni-Amer 
Arabs  consists  of  flocks  and  herds,  of  which  they  possess  vast 
numbers.  \Mien  the  pasturage  is  exhausted  in  one  part  of  the 
country,  Haikota  shifts  its  quarters,  and  moves,  huts  and  all,  to 
another. 

Our  first  visitor  was  the  Sheik  El-belad,  or  head  man  of 
the  village,  a  fine-looking  old  gentleman,  with  an  immense  head 
of  grey  woolly  hair.  We  informed  him  of  our  wish  to  shoot  in 
the  Base  country;  to  which  he  raised  no  objection  whatever, 
and  seemed  to  regard  it  as  a  mere  promenade.  Later  on,  the 
sheik  of  the  whole  of  that  part  of  the  country  —  a  far  more 
important  personage  —  arrived.  The  German  had  informed  us 
that  he  had  had  a  good  many  dealings  with  him  ;  that  he  was 
by  far  the  most  j^owerful  man  in  the  country,  much  looked  up  to 
and  implicitly  obeyed  by  his  people.  His  name  was  Achmed 
Ageer ;  and  he  was  said  to  be  the  second  or  third  sheik  in 
importance  of  the  Beni-Amer  tribe,  one  of  the  largest  and 
most  powerful  in  Eastern  Africa.  A  tall,  lithe,  wiry,  well-built 
man  of  about  fifty,  he  was  in  appearance  a  perfect  specimen  of 
his  class,  and  was  quite  the  best-mannered,  most  plausible  Arab 
sheik  I  had  ever  met. 

From  first  to  last,  we  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with  this  man  ; 
and,  although  at  the  outset  he  enabled  us  to  do  what  we  had 
set  our  minds  on,  he  eventually  j^laycd  us  false.  When  we  first 
disclosed  our  wishes  to  him,  he  endeavoured  to  throw  obstacles 
in  the  way  of  their  attainment.  He  told  us  that  no  English- 
man had  ever  travelled  or  shot  in  the  Base  country  before,  with 
the  exception  of  a  Mr.  Powell,  who  with  his  wife  and  child  had 
been  murdered  by  them  some  years  before  ;  that,  the  previous 
winter,  two  Austrians  had  arrived  in  his  country,  to  whom  he 
had  given  guides  to  go  some  thirty  miles  up  the  Gash,  but  no 
farther.    He  suggested  our  writing  to  the  governor  of  Cassala, 


ACHMED  AGEER. 


67 


to  ask  his  aid  in  the  matter;  and  said  that,  through  a  sheik 
who  hved  near  Amedeb  (an  Egyptian  mihtary  station  to  the 
north  of  the  Base  country),  we  should  be  able  to  penetrate  into 
their  territory.  We  knew,  however,  that  this  was  the  last  way 
to  set  to  work  to  gain  our  point,  as  the  sheik  in  question  was 
friendly  to  the  government,  and  had  nothing  to  do  with  the 
part  we  were  anxious  to  visit.  We  told  him  that  he  alone  could 
help  us  ;  that  we  had  been  in  the  Soudan  before,  and  had  come 
again  on  purpose  to  shoot  and  travel  among  the  Base,  and  we 
trusted  to  him  to  aid  us.  After  a  very  long  discussion,  and  a 
number  of  cups  of  coffee  had  been  drunk,  and  cigarettes  smoked, 
he  acceded  to  our  wishes,  and  promised  to  help  us.  We  ex- 
plained to  him,  that  we  were  anxious  to  go  along  the  Gash,  or 
Mareb  as  it  is  called  farther  up,  as  far  as  the  Abyssinian  fron- 
tier, and  then  across  country  to  the  Settite,  returning  along  the 
river,  and  crossing  over  to  Haikota.  He  did  not  absolutely 
promise  that  we  should  carry  out  the  whole  of  this  programme  ; 
but  he  said  we  might  follow  the  course  of  the  river's  bed  as  far 
as  the  Abyssinian  frontier,  at  any  rate,  and  that  then  he  thought 
we  should  have  no  difficulty  in  finding  some  Base  who  would 
show  us  a  road  across  the  Settite,  as  the  banks  of  that  river 
were  inhabited  by  people  belonging  to  that  tribe,  who,  as  we 
had  already  understood,  lived  to  the  east  of  the  Hamrans,  and 
between  them  and  the  Abyssinians. 

As  soon  as  Achmed  Ageer  had  promised  us  his  aid  in  travel- 
ling through  the  Base  country,  he  said  that  in  order  to  go  there 
it  was  essential  we  should  take  some  of  his  horsemen  ;  after 
much  discussion,  we  arranged  to  take  four  ( he  had  at  first  pro- 
posed our  taking  ten  ! ),  and  to  pay  them  at  the  rate  of  twenty- 
five  dollars  apiece  a  month.  Two  or  three  of  these  braves  were 
supposed  to  speak  the  Base  language,  but  we  afterwards  found 
that  only  one  of  them  could  do  so  ;  this  man  rejoicecl  in  th^ 


68 


LOCAL  LIOSTILLTLES. 


euphonious  appellation  of  Bayrumphy,  and  was  supposed  to 
have  lived  for  two  years  in  the  country. 

Although,  of  course,  it  was  essential  to  have  some  one  with 
us  who  knew  the  language,  we  were  well  aware  that  four  horse- 
men would  prove  a  great  incumbrance  ;  particularly  as  we 
should  be  obliged  to  feed  their  horses  as  well  as  themselves. 
We  knew,  however,  that  it  was  a  kind  of  tax  paid  to  the  sheik 
for  his  help  in  our  plans,  and  regarded  it  accordingly. 

The  Beni-Amer  Arabs  about  Haikota  are  the  only  peo- 
ple who  have  any  dealings  with  the  Base,  as  it  is  only  there 
that  any  are  found  who  are  conversant  with  the  language. 
The  Beni-Amers  farther  north,  living  on  Khor  Baraka,  have 
no  dealings  whatever  with  them,  and  are  much  afraid  of 
them. 

Although,  when  travelling  in  the  country,  we  came  across  one 
or  two  sheiks,  who,  we  were  told,  had  jurisdiction  o\er  the 
whole  country,  I  had  not  much  faith  in  them  ;  for  each  village 
has  its  own  chief,  and  the  people  of  the  different  villages  are 
constantly  quarrelling  with  each  other,  and  I  do  not  believe 
that  any  responsible  heads  exist. 

Only  a  few  days  before  our  arrival  at  Haikota,  a  number 
of  Base  had  come  down  from  one  of  their  villages,  and  made  an 
attack  on  some  Beni-Amers.  They  were  mostly  boys,  or  old 
men,  who  were  looking  after  their  flocks,  only  two  or  three 
miles  from  the  village  itself.  Twenty-seven  of  them  they 
killed,  and  drove  off  about  three  thousand  head  of  cattle.  Sheik 
Achmed  Ageer  informed  us  thai  he  was  then  meditating 
reprisals,  and  gave  us  a  most  pressing  invitation  to  unite  our 
forces  with  his.  When  we  first  heard  this  piece  of  news,  we 
thought  it  would  entirely  interfere  with  our  going  among  them. 
We  learned,  however,  that  the  people  who  made  the  attack  lived 
^at  some  little  distance  to  the  south  of  the  Gash,  and  off  our 


EASTERN  TABLE  MANNERS. 


69 


intended  route ;  and  that,  moreover,  they  were  at  enmity  with 
that  part  of  the  tribe  we  proposed  visiting. 

As  we  thought  it  would  be  well  to  take  with  us  more  camels 
than  we  required  for  our  baggage,  knowing  that  some  of  those 
we  had  would  be  sure  to  die,  or  become  useless,  we  arranged  to 
hire  several.  In  consideration  of  our  paying  for  them  at  a  very 
high  rate,  —  namely,  twelve  dollars  a  month  each,  as  well  as 
feeding  the  drivers, — we  induced  some  Shukreeyehs  to  accom- 
pany us  with  their  camels.  We  hoped  to  add  considerably  to 
our  impedimenta  in  the  shape  of  skins  and  heads  while  in 
the  country ;  and  knew  that  no  camels  could  be  obtained 
from  the  Base,  who  do  not  possess  any.  We  were  delayed 
to  buy  a  further  supply  of  dJmrra ;  as  with  so  many  mouths 
to  feed,  both  men  and  horses,  it  disappeared  at  a  surprising 
rate. 

While  delayed  at  Haikota,  we  entertained  the  German  and 
the  sheik  at  dinner  every  evening.  The  latter  experienced 
considerable  difficulty,  at  first,  in  manipulating  a  knife  and  fork  ; 
he  was  very  anxious  to  make  no  mistake,  and  watched  us  most 
carefully  to  see  what  we  did  with  them,  before  he  would  venture 
himself  :  he  soon,  however,  mastered  the  difficulty,  and  became 
quite  an  adept  in  their  use.  The  only  desagremcnt  that  we 
suffered  from,  in  entertaining  this  august  personage  at  meals, 
was  the  habit  that  he  freely  indulged  himself  in,  of  eructating 
both  during  dinner  and  afterwards  ;  and  I  must  say  this  was  a 
phase  of  Eastern  manners  to  which  we  never  could  fully  accus- 
tom ourselves.  In  the  opinion  of  an  Arab  or  Abyssinian,  this, 
far  from  being  a  breach  of  good  manners  or  decorum,  is  consid- 
ered a  compliment  to  the  host,  showing  him  that  his  guest  is 
enjoying  the  good  fare  placed  before  him. 

He  greatly  relished  our  jam,  and  some  asparagus  that  we  had 
brought  with  us  in  tins.    This  latter,  Suleiman  informed  him, 


70 


A  MAGIC-LANTERN  ENTERTAINMENT. 


was  the  grass  of  our  country  ;  and  he  was  fully  convinced  that 
it  was  what  we  fed  our  cattle  on  in  England. 

On  one  occasion  we  exhibited  the  magic-lantern,  to  the 
intense  delight  of  a  large  crowd  who  came  after  dinner  on 
purpose  to  see  it,  and  had  never  seen  any  thing  so  wonderful 
before.  We  worked  the  lantern  from  the  inside  of  a  tent,  with 
a  sheet  hung  in  front  of  the  door.  We  always  commenced  the 
show  by  displaying  portraits  of  the  Queen  and  Prince  of  Wales  : 
these  were  both  very  popular,  and  invariably  re-demanded.  We 
had  been  careful,  before  leaving  England,  to  choose  subjects  for 
the  slides  that  we  thought  would  interest  them ;  and  their  exhi- 
bition was  always  successful.  The  most  popular  consisted  of  a 
series  of  animals  found  in  Africa,  such  as  the  lion,  hippopota- 
mus, elephant,  etc. ;  and  when  we  displayed  a  representation  of  a 
man  escaping  up  a  tree  from  a  crocodile,  with  the  beast  opening 
and  shutting  its  mouth,  and  trying  to  seize  him,  they  fairly 
shrieked  with  laughter. 

Some  of  the  slides  represented  the  Suez  Canal,  English 
scenes,  caravans  in  the  desert,  African  villages,  etc.  ;  and  all 
these  were  explained  to  them  in  Arabic,  to  their  intense  delight, 
while  the  Arabic  was  translated  into  their  own  tongue  for  the 
benefit  of  those  that  did  not  understand  that  language.  As  a 
termination  to  the  entertainment,  we  sent  up  one  or  two 
rockets,  and  lighted  a  Bengal  light  or  two ;  by  which  time  our 
reputation  as  wonderful  magicians  was  fairly  established  among 
them.  As  a  hint  that  the  show  was  over,  and  that  it  was  time 
for  the  crowd  to  retire,  we  hit  upon  the  expedient  of  conducting 
the  sheik,  by  the  light  of  a  Bengal  light,  to  his  horse,  which 
was  in  waiting  for  him  outside  our  zariba.  The  result  was 
a  most  happy  one  ;  a  veritable  retraite  atix  Jlambeatix  took 
place,  and  the  camp  was  cleared  in  less  than  five  minutes. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Departure  from  Haikota.  —  Mahomet  Salee.  —  Abundance  of  Game.  —  Halt  at 
Toadelook.  —  Tetel.  —  Adventure  with  a  Lion  on  the  Prowl.  —  A  Shooting  Expe- 
dition. —  Fifty-seven  Sand-grouse  netted.  —  Night-watches  in  Hopes  of  a  Shot. 

We  left  Haikota  on  Jan.  22,  and  very  glad  we  were  to  make 
a  fresh  start.  So  far  our  journey,  owing  to  unavoidable  circum- 
stances, had  been  a  very  slow  one ;  but  delays  are  the  inevitable 
adjuncts  of  African  travel.  We  were  getting  very  tired,  too,  of 
the  crowds  of  natives  that  surrounded  our  tents  more  or  less 
all  day.  We  were  fortunate,  however,  in  not  having  any  of  our 
impedirncnta,  that  lay  about  the  camp  in  all  directions,  stolen  : 
in  fact,  during  such  expeditions  to  Africa  we  have  always  found 
the  Arabs  whom  we  encountered  wonderfully  honest  folk,  and 
scarcely  lost  anything  through  theft  the  whole  time. 

Among  other  visitors  at  Haikota,  we  were  more  than  once 
favoured  with  a  visit  from  an  Abyssinian  chief  of  the  Walkait 
country,  who  was  at  Haikota  ''on  business"  connected  with 
Sheik  Achmed,  and  was  accompanied  by  his  son,  a  most  amus- 
ing boy,  who  played  on  a  curious  stringed  instrument,  and  sang 
to  us.  He  really  had  some  slight  idea  of  singing ;  but  his  songs 
were  very  monotonous  and  dirge-like  compositions,  and  were 
sung  in  his  own  language,  which  none  of  us  understood,  but  we 
were  told  they  were  redolent  of  the  praises  of  the  "  Inglees." 

Before  starting  we  presented  Sheik  Achmed  with  a  very 
good  tent  we  had  bought  in  Cairo,  with  which  he  was  much 
pleased.    I  greatly  doubt  if  he  would  make  much  use  of  it,  as 

71 


72 


DEPARTURE  FROM  HAIKOTA, 


the  sheiks  generally  prefer  to  live  among  their  people,  in  the 
same  kind  of  huts  as  they  do,  so  that,  in  case  of  an  attack  by  a 
bordering  tribe,  the  chief's  dwelling  may  not  be  conspicuous 
among  those  of  his  own  people. 

As  we  were  leaving,  he  pressed  us  to  take  a  fifth  horseman, 
whom  he  wished  to  make  head  over  the  others,  his  pay  to  be 
five  dollars  a  month  in  excess  of  theirs.  After  some  hesitation 
we  concluded  to  take  him.  He  was  the  sole  Arab  from  Haikota 
that  had  ever  been  with  Englishmen  before,  having  accom- 
panied two  to  the  Settite  three  years  previously.  He  spoke 
Arabic  in  addition  to  his  own  language,  an  accomplishment 
wanting  in  the  others.  His  name  was  Mahomet  Salee.  We 
liked  him  very  much  at  first ;  but  later  on  he  deceived  us,  and 
we  sent  him  away. 

During  our  last  night  at  Haikota,  we  heard  two  lions  roaring 
near  the  camp,  which  we  thought  augured  well  for  the  sport 
we  anticipated  having  in  the  Base  country.  The  neighbouring 
country  is  more  picturesque  than  any  we  had  seen  so  far.  On 
either  bank  of  the  Gash  was  a  thick  fringe  of  <^//^?//;;^-palms, 
backed  by  a  range  of  mountains,  greener  than  any  we  had  yet 
come  across  ;  while  in  the  river's  bed  crowds  of  Arabs,  men, 
women,  and  children,  and  immense  herds  of  cattle,  sheep,  and 
goats,  lent  animation  to  the  scene. 

It  was  half-past  four  before  the  last  of  our  caravan  was  under 
way.  We  crossed  the  Gash,  and  after  riding  for  some  distance 
through  a  grove  of  dJlOllm-^^?^.m%y  recrossed  it,  thus  cutting  off 
a  great  bend,  and  pitched  our  tents  above  its  bed,  having  gone 
only  about  six  miles.  There  were  wells  sunk  in  the  sand  close 
to  where  we  encamped,  and  Arabs  watering  large  herds  of 
goats.  We  were,  luckily,  quite  independent  of  the  Arabs  in 
regard  to  milk,  as,  in  addition  to  several  sheep,  we  had  a  num- 
ber of  goats,  all  presents  from  the  sheik.    He  himself  started 


COOLER  NIGHTS. 


73 


with  us,  so  as  to  see  us  fairly  on  our  way,  appearing  highly  to 
appreciate  our  "  flesh-pots ; "  and  we  began  to  think  he  intended 
spending  the  rest  of  the  winter  in  our  camp. 

The  whole  country  swarmed  with  guinea-fowl,  and  there 
were  plenty  of  partridges.  We  frequently  shot  the  former  for 
the  pot,  and  cooked  them  in  a  variety  of  ways,  but  found  them 
best  of  all  curried.  I  think,  too,  they  were  not  quite  so  dry 
as  those  one  eats  in  England,  where  I  regard  them  as  the 
driest  bird  that  comes  to  table.  Shooting  them  is  not  much 
sport,  unless  they  chance  to  fly  over  one's  head,  when  they 
afford  fine  ''rocketing"  shots.  As  a  rule,  they  run;  and  it  is 
often  necessary  to  shoot  them  on  the  ground,  if  they  are  to  be 
shot  at  all.  In  this  way  we  sometimes  obtained  four  or  five  at 
a  shot.  When  stalking  antelope,  they  are  frequently  a  great 
nuisance,  as  they  often  alarm  them  by  their  sharp,  metallic  cry. 

Our  first  night  out  of  Haikota  was  the  coldest  we  had  yet 
experienced,  and  there  was  a  very  heavy  dew.  We  began  to 
think  we  had  started  short  of  blankets  ;  and  I  accordingly  rode 
back  for  some,  and  returned  just  as  the  caravan  was  starting. 
The  nights  afterwards  were  often  colder  still,  and  we  were 
many  times  glad  of  the  extra  coverings. 

We  made  a  six-and-a-half-hours'  march,  and  formed  quite  a 
cavalcade.  We  all  rode  horses,  and  had  as  escort  the  sheik, 
some  of  his  mounted  retainers,  and  our  five  horsemen.  Our 
next  halting-place  was  Toadelook.  About  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  Gash,  were  a  hundred  acres  or  more  of  tall,  rank 
grass,  growing  in  what,  for  a  long  time  after  the  rains,  is  a 
swamp,  but,  at  the  time  we  visited  it,  was  all  dried  up,  with  the 
exception  of  a  small  piece  at  one  end,  where  there  was  water, 
said  to  be  much  resorted  to  by  game  going  to  drink. 

Water  is  always  to  be  obtained  in  the  Gash  by  digging,  but 
it  is  often  very  far  below  the  surface.    At  that  time  it  fortu- 


74 


FIRST  LION  SEEN. 


nately  could  be  readily  obtained  by  scraping  away  the  sand  ; 
we  were  not  even  obliged  to  do  this,  as  some  Arabs  who  had 
been  there  lately  had  done  it  for  us,  and  had  moreover  made 
reservoirs  of  mud  in  which  to  put  the  water  for  their  beasts  to 
drink.  Plenty  of  fine  green  grass  grew  in  the  river's  bed,  and 
coarse  high  grass  lined  either  bank. 

On  the  way  to  Toadelook  we  saw  tctcl  {Biibalis  manritanica) 
for  the  first  time.  There  are  two  varieties  of  this  antelope, 
both  of  which  were  frequently  encountered  and  shot.  They 
are  ugly,  ungainly-looking  beasts,  but  their  flesh  was  the  best 
to  eat  of  all  the  antelopes  we  came  across.  In  South  Africa, 
where  both  varieties  are  found,  it  is  called  the  hartebecst. 

Immediately  on  their  arrival,  my  brothers  took  their  light 
rifles,  and  made  for  the  marsh,  thinking  by  chance  to  find  some 
gazelle  or  /////  returning  from  the  water.  They  had  just 
arrived  at  the  watering-place  when  they  espied  a  lion,  lying  on 
the  top  of  a  slight  eminence,  evidently  on  the  look  out  for  any 
animal  coming  to  slake  its  thirst.  As  the  lion  had  not  per- 
ceived them,  and  their  rifles  were  of  very  small  calibre,  one  of 
them  lay  down  concealed  under  a  bush,  about  a  hundred  yards 
from  the  lion,  while  the  other  made  for  the  caravan,  which  had 
just  arrived,  to  fetch  a  heavy  rifle.  He  returned  as  quickly  as 
possible,  with  a  ten-bore,  and  out  of  breath  from  running.  The 
lion  on  the  top  of  the  mound  was  partly  hidden  from  them,  and 
my  brother  was  unsteady  from  running  in  the  heat :  so  that, 
what  with  that,  and  the  excitement  of  firing  at  the  first  lion 
seen,  he  either  missed  him  altogether,  or  wounded  him  very 
slightly.  With  an  angry  growl  he  started  up,  and  trotted  towards 
them.  They  reserved  their  fire  till  he  was  at  close  quarters,  in 
order  to  make  sure  of  him.  Just  as  they  were  going  to  fire, 
he  turned  off  suddenly  at  right  angles  ;  and,  before  cither  of 
them  could  get  a  second  shot,  he  disappeared  in  grass  eight  or 


A  DAY'S  SPORT  AT  TOADELOOK. 


75 


ten  feet  high.  Dreadfully  disappointed,  they  followed  him,  but 
saw  no  more  of  him  in  the  jungle  to  which  he  had  retreated. 
Returning  to  camp,  my  brother  (who  had  missed  the  lion)  made 
a  very  long  and  successful  shot  at  a  gazelle  galloping.  If  it 
had  only  been  the  lion  instead  ! 

The  next  day  we  all  went  out  in  parties  of  two,  with  our 
rifles,  in  hopes  of  getting  a  shot  at  buffaloes  or  other  big 
v.  game.  Aylmer  and  one  of  my  brothers  followed  up  a  large 
herd  of  buffaloes  for  some  miles,  only  to  see  them  disappear 
full  pelt  in  a  cloud  of  dust,  a  long  way  ahead.  Antelopes  were 
not  very  plentiful,  but  we  managed  to  secure  a  fine  bull  tetel 
and  a  doe  nelhit.  This  latter  animal  is  a  most  beautiful  crea- 
ture, with  a  mouse-coloured  skin ;  it  was  the  first  we  had  met 
with  that  year.  It  is  common  in  South  Africa,  where  it  is 
called  koodoo;  while  in  Abyssinia,  and  some  parts  of  the 
Soudan,  it  is  known  as  the  agazin. 

We  spent  another  day  at  Toadelook ;  and,  although  finding 
no  big  game,  secured  three  teicl,  and  so  kept  the  larder  well 
supplied,  and  had,  besides,  plenty  of  meat  for  our  men.  We 
had  so  many  people  about  us,  that  we  were  enabled  to  shoot  a 
great  deal,  and  yet  feel  that  nothing  would  be  wasted ;  we 
were  always  very  particular  about  this,  and  never  shot  any- 
thing to  waste.  The  sheik  left  us,  as  he  said,  to  go  a  little 
farther  up  the  Gash,  where  he  expected  to  meet  some  of  his 
horsemen  returning  from  the  Base  with  camels  laden  with 
dhiirra.  As  none  of  the  Base  we  ever  came  across  grew  any 
worth  speaking  of,  this  was  only  a  polite  excuse,  invented  on 
the  spur  of  the  moment,  for  leaving  our  camp. 

As  large  numbers  of  sand-grouse  arrived  morning  and  even- 
ing to  drink,  Lort  Phillips  thought  it  a  good  opportunity  to 
test  a  clap-net  he  had  brought  with  him  from  England ;  and 
accordingly  he  set  it  close  to  the  water,  and,  in  one  haul,  caught 


76 


NIGHT-WATCHERS  FOR  A  SHOT. 


fifty-seven  birds.  This  net  proved  frequently  useful,  not  only 
in  catching  sand-grouse,  but  pigeons  and  doves  as  well ;  and  we 
often  used  it  when  we  wanted  them  for  food,  and  were  anxious 
not  to  disturb  the  country  by  firing  shots,  in  case,  by  so  doing, 
we  should  frighten  away  any  animals  wont  to  frequent  the 
watering-places,  near  to  which  we  were  often  encamped. 

At  Haikota  we  had  bought  some  fresh  ostrich-eggs,  the 
contents  of  which  we  placed  in  bottles  to  be  used  when 
required  for  making  omelettes.  Omelette  a  VatitnicJic  was  for 
some  time  quite  a  common  dish  with  us  for  breakfast ;  I  must 
acknowledge,  however,  that  we  found,  that,  although  eatable, 
they  had  rather  a  strong  flavour,  and  we  should  have  preferred 
the  eggs  of  the  domestic  fowl,  had  they  been  obtainable. 

There  being  a  moon,  two  of  our  party  watched  some  hours 
by  the  water,  perched  more  or  less  uncomfortably  on  the 
branches  of  trees,  in  hopes  of  getting  a  shot  at  some  animals 
coming  to  drink.  For  the  first  two  or  three  hours  this  kind  of 
thing  is  exciting  enough  ;  everything  is  still,  and  the  sports- 
man hears  the  least  sound.  After  a  time,  however,  a  drowsy 
feeling  steals  over  him  ;  and  it  is  only  with  a  great  effort  he 
can  keep  awake,  or  from  falling  off  his  perch.  In  fact,  after  a 
long  day  in  the  blazing  sun,  it  is  often  more  than  he  can  do, 
as  we  sometimes  found  by  experience.  Occasionally,  after 
watching  in  vain  for  a  long  time,  a  noise,  as  of  some  large 
animal  approaching,  is  heard.  To  reach  the  water,  it  must  pass 
within  a  few  feet  of  where  you  are  sitting.  From  the  noise  it 
makes  in  the  bushes,  it  must  be  large  game.  At  last  the 
unknown  animal  stands  out  in  the  moonlight ;  and  it  is  only  a 
hyaena,  after  all !  Such  was  their  fate  that  night ;  but  soon 
afterwards  they  heard  a  tremendous  crashing  through  the 
jungle,  which  set  every  nerve  tingling.  They  felt  sure  the 
noise  could  be  caused  by  nothing  less  than  a  herd  of  buffaloes, 


DISAPPOINTED, 


77 


and  such  was  indeed  the  case.  The  animals,  however,  got 
their  wind,  and  went  off  at  a  gallop,  with  their  thirst  un- 
quenched.  For  some  time  longer  they  waited,  in  hopes  either 
that  they  would  return,  or  some  other  herd  make  its  appear- 
ance, or,  perchance,  that  a  single  bull  buffalo  might  visit  the 
pond ;  for  often  the  largest  and  fiercest  bulls  separate  them- 
selves from  the  herd,  and  wander  about  alone.  None,  how- 
ever, arrived.  They  heard  a  lion  roar,  and  thought  they  were 
going  to  have  a  visit  from  the  king  of  beasts  ;  but  the  roar 
gradually  became  fainter  and  fainter,  as  he  evidently  made  off 
in  the  opposite  direction.  At  last  a  gentle  rustling  was  heard 
in  the  grass,  and  a  dik-dik  (Naiiotragus  hemprichiamis),  the 
smallest  of  the  antelope  tribe,  and  not  much  bigger  than  a 
hare,  made  its  appearance,  looking  timidly  about  it  for  a  hidden 
enemy,  before  daring  to  drink,  and  at  the  same  time  uttering 
the  peculiar  cry  from  which  it  has  obtained  its  name.  They 
did  not  disturb  it,  but  let  it  quench  its  thirst  in  peace ;  and 
then,  having  had  sufficient  excitement  for  one  night,  and  the 
moon  having  gone  down,  —  it  being  then  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  —  they  returned  to  the  tents. 


CHAPTER  X. 


The  Camp  moves  forward.  —  Scarcity  of  Game.  —  Water  easily  obtainable.— 
Difficulties  of  the  Journey.  —  Baby  Crocodiles.  —  Sheik  Achmed  rejoins  the 
Travellers.  —  A  Battue.  —  Mimosa-trees.  —  Road-cutting  through  the  Jungle. 
—  A  Buffalo  Adventure. 

After  spending  these  two  clays  at  Toadelook,  we  made  a  farther 
move  forward,  being  anxious  to  get  well  into  the  country  with- 
out more  delay ;  for  we  felt  all  the  time  that  Sheik  Achmed 
Ageer  might  give  us  the  slip,  and  our  people  refuse  to  pro- 
ceed farther.  We  made  a  march  of  only  five  hours  and  a  half, 
encamping  at  a  place  called  Toadwan.  We  pitched  the  tents 
high  above  the  river-bed.  Although  we  had  considerable 
difficulty  in  getting  the  camels  up,  as  the  bank  was  steep,  and 
a  good  many  bushes  had  to  be  cut  down,  and  grass  cleared 
away,  before  the  tents  could  be  pitched,  we  were  glad  we 
had  chosen  this  position  ;  for  the  next  morning,  on  awaking, 
there  was  a  thick  fog, — a  most  unusual  phenomenon  in  this 
country.  Whenever  practicable,  we  encamped  above  the 
river's  bed ;  for,  though  clean  sand  was  very  comfortable  for 
the  purpose  when  there  was  no  wind,  we  felt,  that,  if  the  water 
were  near  the  surface,  we  might,  by  sleeping  there,  run  the 
risk  of  getting  fever. 

We  readily  obtained  water,  by  digging  to  the  depth  of  about 
a  foot ;  and  in  a  rocky  kho}  close  by,  a  tributary  of  the  Gash, 
there  were  some  stagnant  pools,  but  no  signs  of  game,  nor  had 
we  on  the  march  seen  any  whatever.    We  were  disappointed  in 
78 


AN  ADVANCE. 


79 


not  finding  game  at  Toadwan,  as  our  Arabs  had  held  out  great 
hopes  of  our  getting  rhinoceros  there.  On  the  spot  we  had 
chosen  for  our  encampment,  there  were  the  traces  of  many 
recent  fires.  It  was  evidently  the  place  that  had  been  selected 
by  the  Bas6  for  their  first  night's  halt,  after  they  had  driven  off 
the  cattle  captured  from  the  Haikota  people ;  and  there  was 
plenty  of  evidence  of  their  having  slain  and  eaten  some  of  the 
beasts.  The  next  day  we  pushed  five  hours  farther  into  the 
country ;  on  the  way  coming  to  another  khor,  called  Sobat, 
which  we  explored  for  some  distance,  and  found  running  water, 
which  very  soon,  however,  lost  itself  in  the  sand.  On  either 
side  grew  coarse  grass,  ten  to  twelve  feet  high. 

We  were  obliged  to  let  the  caravan  travel  the  greater  part  of 
the  way  in  the  sandy  bed  of  the  Gash,  which  was  most  fatiguing 
for  the  camels.  One  of  those  bought  on  the  Atbara  had  already 
died,  and  one  or  two  others  were  pretty  well  Jiors  du  combat. 
The  latter  part  of  the  day's  journey  was  accomplished  by  the 
caravan  cutting  off  a  great  bend  in  the  river,  and  it  was  no  joke 
to  get  the  camels  through  the  grass  and  thick  fringe  of  dhoum- 
palms  that  bordered  the  bank.  Some  of  us  followed  the  course 
of  the  river ;  the  great  inducement  of  moieh  sarkit,  or  water 
above  the  surface  of  its  bed,  being  held  out  to  us.  There  is 
always  a  certain  amount  of  excitement  in  approaching  water 
where  it  is  scarce  and  watering-places  a  considerable  distance 
apart ;  for,  in  a  game-country,  there  is  always  a  good  chance 
of  encountering  animals,  either  drinking  or  returning  from  the 
water.  We  found  the  banks  of  the  Gash  narrowed  very  much, 
while  great  rocks  lying  here  and  there  made  it  very  difficult 
for  our  horses  to  travel ;  and,  in  one  place,  these  rocks  rose  to 
the  height  of  sixty  or  seventy  feet  on  each  bank. 

We  found  a  good  deal  of  water,  containing  small  fish  and  two 
or  three  baby  crocodiles.    It  is  extraordinary  how  these  crea- 


8o 


BASE  MARAUDERS, 


tures  are  often  found  in  the  smallest  pools ;  and  we  were  in- 
formed that,  during  the  rains,  very  large  ones  are  seen  near 
Cassala.  As  the  Gash  loses  itself  in  the  sand,  I  am  at  a  loss 
to  know  what  becomes  of  these  animals ;  for  any  pools  that 
remain  in  the  dry  season  are  so  small  that  they  could  not 
afford  accommodation  for  any  but  the  smallest  crocodiles.  Per- 
haps they  bury  themselves  in  the  sand,  and  lie  pcrdit  till  the 
next  rainy  season  comes  round,  as,  I  believe,  is  the  habit  of 
alligators  in  some  parts  of  South  America  during  the  dry  sea- 
son. We  saw  a  good  many  antelopes,  and  the  fresh  tracks  of  a 
herd  of  buffaloes.  Tamarind-trees  were  seen  for  the  first  time ; 
the  fruit  is  a  very  favourite  food  of  baboons,  and  wherever 
this  tree  is  seen,  there  are  sure  to  be  some  not  far  off. 
We  again  encamped  above  the  Gash,  at  a  point  where  its 
bed  widened  considerably,  and  where  the  country  looked  less 
promising. 

The  sheik  joined  us  on  the  march.  He  told  us  he  had  been 
to  look  after  the  Base  who  had  made  the  raid  on  his  cattle,  and 
killed  so  many  of  his  people ;  he  had  got  a  number  of  them 
penned  in  a  cave,  and  some  of  the  Beni-Amers  had  surround- 
ed it,  and  were  trying  to  starve  them  out.  He  expressed  his 
intention  of  returning  the  following  day  to  the  place  where  they 
were,  which  was  some  distance  to  the  south  of  the  Gash.  Ac- 
cording to  his  statement,  he  had  at  first  applied  for  assistance 
to  the  governor  of  Cassala,  asking  him  to  supply  troops  with 
which  to  attack  the  hostile  Base.  This  request  the  governor 
had  refused,  and  told  him  to  fight  his  own  battles,  and  to  take 
vengeance  on  the  Bas6  in  his  own  way.  He  was  justly  ag- 
grieved at  this ;  as  he  said,  and  with  some  reason,  that  he  paid 
yearly  heavy  taxes  to  the  Egyptian  authorities,  and  it  was  very 
hard  that  they  should  refuse  him  their  assistance  when  he  stood 
in  need  of  it. 


ARAB  HORSEMANSHIP. 


8i 


The  next  clay  we  went  out  for  a  day's  shooting,  but  were  not 
very  successful.  Achmed  Ageer  insisted  on  going  out  with  Lort 
Phillips  and  Aylmer.  Lort  Phillips  dismounted  in  a  great  hurry, 
to  stalk  some  and  in  doing  so  let  his  horse  go  loose.  A 
long  chase  followed,  in  which  the  sheik  joined.  This  gave  him 
an  opportunity  of  displaying  his  horsemanship,  of  which  he 
was  very  proud.  There  is  nothing  the  Arabs  delight  in  more 
than  in  galloping  their  horses  furiously  for  about  a  hundred 
yards,  and  then  reining  them  suddenly  up  on  their  haunches 
when  at  full  speed.  With  the  cruel  Turkish  bits  they  all  use, 
this  is  very  poor  fun  for  the  horses ;  indeed,  nearly  all  those  we 
saw  suffered  from  curbed  hocks,  caused,  I  imagine,  by  this 
trick  of  their  riders. 

The  sheik  carried  out  his  intention  of  leaving  us,  and  took 
his  departure  the  following  day  ;  at  which  we  were  very  well 
pleased,  for  we  were  getting  tired  of  his  company. 

Before  moving  any  farther  into  the  country,  we  indulged  our- 
selves in  a  battue  of  the  quail  and  partridges,  which  were  very 
numerous  in  the  patches  of  dry  grass  that  grew  on  what,  in  the 
rains,  would  be  islands  in  the  Gash.  It  was  the  only  place, 
during  the  whole  expedition,  where  we  found  quail  in  any  con- 
siderable numbers.  It  was  terribly  hot  work  ;  but  the  most  un- 
comfortable part  of  it  was,  that  we  got  covered  from  head  to 
foot  with  horrible  black  ticks.  These  creatures  were  in  appear- 
ance exactly  like  those  that  infest  the  camels,  and  stuck  so 
tightly  to  our  clothes  with  their  legs,  that  it  was  often  no  easy 
work  to  dislodge  them. 

Our  next  march  was  at  some  little  distance  from  the  Gash, 
and  through  an  open  country,  in  which  grew  clumps  of  mimosa- 
trees,  of  a  different  kind  from  those  we  had  hitherto  seen, 
growing  very  straight  to  a  height  of  about  twenty  feet,  — trees, 
not  bushes.    The  outside  bark  was  generally  wanting ;  under- 


82 


TALL  GRASS. 


neath,  it  was  Oi.  a  reddish-brown  colour.  This  tree  was  easily 
distinguished  from  the  other  species  of  acacia  so  common  all 
over  the  Soudan.  It  produced  considerable  quantities  of  gum ; 
and  we  gathered  some  beautiful  amber  and  white  pieces,  each 
weighing  three  or  four  ounces,  and  mostly  round  in  form  ;  they 
presented  very  much  the  appearance  of  preserved  apricots.  A 
good  deal  of  it,  however,  was  of  a  bright  red  colour,  and,  I 
should  think,  worthless,  as  it  was  gritty  and  by  no  means  pure. 
Gum  is  not  found  in  sufficient  quantities,  in  these  districts  of 
the  Soudan,  to  be  worth  exporting ;  the  best  comes  from  Kor- 
dofan  and  Darfour,  provinces  to  the  west  of  the  White  Nile,  and 
some  also  from  the  Blue  Nile. 

We  made  a  very  bad  march  of  not  more  than  ten  miles,  and 
encamped  in  the  Gash,  where  we  had  to  dig  seven  feet  deep 
for  water  before  we  could  have  our  dinner  cooked.  Lort  Phil- 
lips dug  a  great  part  himself ;  he  was  always  most  energetic  on 
such  occasions,  and  ever  ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand  when 
anything  of  the  kind  had  to  be  done.  This  had  generally  a 
very  salutary  effect  on  the  Arabs,  who  were  usually  very  lazy, 
but  always  more  willing  to  work  when  they  saw  we  were  desi- 
rous to  join  them  ourselves. 

We  were  greatly  delayed  by  being  obliged  to  cut  a  way  for 
the  camels  through  a  great  deal  of  very  high  grass,  in  order 
to  cross  the  Gash  ;  it  was  literally  necessary  to  fight  one's  way 
through  it,  foot  by  foot.  This  tall  grass,  often  attaining  a 
height  of  from  ten  to  fourteen  feet,  was  a  great  nuisance  :  it 
usually  fringed  the  river's  bed  on  either  side,  and  often  ran 
a  long  way  back ;  on  horseback  or  on  foot  it  was  almost  impos- 
sible to  get  through  it,  except  by  following  paths  trodden  down 
by  elephants  or  buffaloes.  Although  affording  splendid  covert 
for  big  game,  it  was  often  a  source  of  great  difficulty  in  shoot- 
ing.   Animals  wotild  get  into  it,  and  you  might  often  pass 


ADVENTURE  WITH  A  BUFFALO. 


83 


close  to  them  without  being  aware  of  their  presence.  If  we 
wounded  buffaloes  in  the  open,  they  would  almost  invariably 
make  for  it,  when  it  was  of  course  extremely  dangerous  to 
follow  them,  as,  by  so  doing,  one  might  receive  a  charge  at 
close  quarters.  In  fact,  the  grass  was  often  so  thick  that  it 
was  quite  possible  to  get  within  a  yard  or  two  of  a  buffalo 
without  seeing  anything  of  him.  An  instance  of  this  oc- 
curred to  my  brother  and  myself  when  shooting  in  the  Bogos 
country  on  the  borders  of  the  Dembelas  territory  the  previous 
winter. 

It  was  the  first  time  any  of  us  had  seen  these  animals,  and 
we  had  wounded  two  ;  one  of  these  made  for  the  open,  while 
the  other  had  taken  to  the  high  grass  ;  this  one  we  followed 
by  its  blood-tracks  until  we  reached  the  edge  of  the  grass  into 
which  they  led.  During  our  pursuit,  and  before  arriving  at 
this  covert,  we  had  once  or  twice  caught  a  glimpse  of  it  dis- 
appearing among  the  thick  trees  that  grew  in  that  part ;  but  as 
it  went  off  at  a  gallop  on  our  approach,  we  soon  lost  sight  of  it 
again.  We  were  debating  whether  we  should  follow  it,  when, 
without  giving  us  much  time  to  think,  the  infuriated  beast 
rushed  out  of  the  grass,  and  charged  straight  at  my  brother. 
The  grass  was  so  high  that  neither  of  us  had  seen  it  until  we 
were  close  upon  it. 

We  were  standing  side  by  side  when  the  buffalo  charged  my 
brother ;  and  as  he  could  not  see  the  beast  until  it  was  within 
four  or  five  feet  of  him,  he  had  to  fire  in  such  a  hurry  that  he 
barely  had  time  to  raise  his  rifle  to  his  shoulder.  His  bullet 
struck  the  animal's  horn,  which  turned  the  brute  sharply  round 
to  the  right,  and  it  disappeared  into  the  grass  again.  I  fired 
after  it  as  it  was  disappearing.  After  this  we  concluded  that 
we  would  not  attempt  to  follow  it  farther,  but  try  and  drive  it 
out.    This  grass  formed  a  belt  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  yards 


84 


A  LUCKY  SHOT. 


in  width,  which  bordered  a  khor  called  Fur-fur,  where  water 
flowed  for  about  two  miles,  and  then  lost  itself  in  the  sand. 

We  threw  stones  and  sticks  after  the  buffalo,  without  any 
result ;  and  a  native  who  was  with  us  climbed  a  tree  to  see  if 
he  could  catch  sight  of  it,  but  could  neither  see  nor  hear  any 
thing  of  it,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  determine  whether  the 
animal  was  dead  or  not.  About  an  hour  after,  on  approaching 
the  grass  from  the  side  of  the  khor,  we  heard  something  mov- 
ing inside,  and  making  a  noise  as  though  endeavouring  to  rise. 
The  natives,  on  hearing  this,  were  most  anxious  that  we 
should  set  fire  to  the  grass,  and  so  drive  the  brute  out  ;  but  the 
grass  was  too  green  for  this  to  be  done,  and  we  did  not  attempt 
it.  My  brother  finally  climbed  a  tree,  while  I  stood  in  the  bed 
of  the  kJior  in  case  the  buffalo  should  come  out  in  my  direc- 
tion. I  had  not  long  to  wait  before  I-  heard  my  brother  sing 
out,  Look  out,  it's  coming  !  "  The  words  were  hardly  out  of 
his  mouth,  when  I  heard  a  noise  in  the  grass  ;  and  the  buffalo 
emerged  opposite  to  where  I  stood,  about  sixty  yards  off,  and 
made  straight  for  me.  A  lucky  shot  in  the  ear  turned  it,  and 
it  fell  on  its  side. 

It  proved  to  be  a  large  cow ;  and  my  shot,  though  a  fatal  one, 
by  no  means  finished  her  at  once.  She  was  game  to  the  last, 
and  several  times  tried  to  rise,  and  charge  me  :  the  poor  brute 
was,  however,  done,  and  a  second  shot  soon  put  an  end  to  her. 
On  examination  we  found  that  the  first  shot  had  struck  her 
rather  far  back.  We  then  went  after  the  other  wounded  buf- 
falo. Salee  was  with  us,  and  tracked  it  in  the  most  wonderful 
way  for  over  six  miles.  The  track  often  became  so  faint  that 
we  lost  it  altogether ;  and  the  animal  led  us  through  very  thick 
covert,  several  times  across  the  kJior.,  and  over  a  hill.  Just  at 
dusk,  as  we  were  thinking  of  giving  it  up,  Salee  declared  that 
he  was  sure,  from  the  appearance  of  its  tracks,  that  we  were 


BAGGING  FIRST  BUFFALOES. 


85 


not  far  off ;  and  very  shortly  we  heard  it  bellowing,  and  soon 
found  it  lying  down.  A  second  shot  quickly  terminated  its 
sufferings ;  and  both  of  us  had  the  satisfaction  of  bagging  a 
buffalo  on  the  first  occasion  that  any  of  these  animals  had 
been  seen.  Unfortunately  they  were  both  cows.  A  lion  had 
scented  the  last  one,  as  we  found  the  fresh  tracks  of  one  fol- 
lowing her  footsteps  for  some  distance. 


CHAPTER  XL 


Arrival  at  Wo  Ammar.  —  First  Interview  with  Base.  —  A  Base  Village.  —  Giraffe- 
stalking. —  The  Village  of  Koolookoo.  —  Deputation  from  the  Village.  —  The 
Sheik's  Son  makes  himself  "generally  useful."  —  Presents  tor  the  Deputation. 
—  The  Koolookoo  Villagers  much  interested  m  us.  —  Visit  to  the  Village. — 
Women  of  Koolookoo. 

The  following  day,  Jan.  30,  we  made  a  farther  march  of  five 
hours  and  a  half,  encamping  high  above  the  Gash,  where  the 
river  makes  a  great  bend.  This  place  rejoiced  in  the  name  of 
Wo  Ammar,  and  was  a  very  pretty  spot,  the  banks  of  the  Gash 
being  thickly  fringed  with  high  grass  and  ^^^^p//;;/ -palms,  many 
of  them  of  great  size,  and  covered  with  creeping  plants  ;  while 
on  either  side  rose  a  chain  of  hills. 

A  fine  sunset  completed  a  very  pretty  picture  :  as  a  rule,  the 
sunsets  were  not  remarkably  beautiful,  owing  to  the  absence 
of  clouds,  but  on  this  occasion  there  were  a  great  number. 

There  were  plenty  of  guinea-fowl  and  partridges  on  the 
banks  ;  and  in  the  river's  bed  we  found  several  herds  of  tetel^ 
on  our  arrival,  coming  upon  them  suddenly,  having  been  tra- 
velling away  from  the  Gash  all  day,  until  we  abruptly  struck  it 
at  this  point.  For  the  first  time  we  came  across  a  very  pretty 
little  antelope,  smaller  than  a  gazelle,  called  by  the  Base  mora, 
by  the  Arabs  otcrop ;  it  has  a  very  rough  chestnut  skin,  and  I 
believe  it  to  be  the  CalotragiLs  montanus.  The  country  through 
which  we  passed  had  all  been  burned ;  and  there  was,  in  con- 
sequence, very  little  game,  there  being  no  grass  left.    We  went 

86 


FIRST  INTER  VIEW  IVITII  BASE. 


87 


through  a  large  grove  consisting  entirely  of  heglcck-trcQs 
{Balanetcs  ^gyptiaca),  and  extending  for  four  or  five  miles. 
The  Arabs  are  very  fond  of  the  fruit  of  this  tree,  but  I  must 
confess  we  none  of  us  found  it  very  palatable.  Elephants 
also  enjoy  the  fruit,  and  will  gather  them  one  by  one;  we 
several  times  found  the  trees  overturned  by  these  animals,  and 
it  was  evident,  from  the  amount  of  trampling  that  had  taken 
place,  that  they  had  stopped  to  eat  the  fruit.  This  tree  is  also 
so  rich  in  potash  that  it  is  used  as  a  substitute  for  soap.  It 
was  the  first  time  in  our  travels  that  we  had  ever  come  across 
a  country  in  which  these  trees  were  the  sole  kind,  though  in 
parts  they  were  common  enough  here  and  there,  growing  with 
other  species. 

The  previous  evening  some  excitement  had  been  caused  in 
camp  by  a  report  that  some  Base  had  been  seen  skulking  about 
the  tents  during  the  night;  and  on  this  day,  Jan.  30,  1882, 
some  of  these  redoubtable  people  were  for  the  first  time  seen 
by  us,  and,  moreover,  "interviewed;"  but  I  do  not  think  even 
a  ''New-York  Herald"  reporter  would  have  got  much  out  of 
them.  On  the  march  we  suddenly  came  across  a  party  of  eight 
or  ten,  engaged  in  collecting  the  fruit  of  the  baobab-tree.  All 
took  to  their  heels,  and  made  off  as  fast  as  they  could,  except 
one,  who  was  fairly  treed,  and  could  not  get  down  from  his 
perch  before  we  came  up  to  him.  He  appeared  to  expect  to 
be  instantly  killed,  and  stood  trembling  all  over  like  an  aspen- 
leaf,  the  picture  of  most  abject  terror.  He  did  not  know  what 
to  make  of  us,  when,  instead  of  being  led  to  instant  execution, 
he  was  presented  with  a  knife  by  my  brother,  while  Suleiman 
gave  him  some  food. 

Bayrumphy  called  after  the  fugitives  in  their  own  language, 
and  endeavoured  to  make  them  understand  that  we  were  peace- 
ably inclined ;  but  it  was  no  use ;  they  only  ran  the  faster,  and 


88 


FIRST  BASE  VILLAGE. 


we  soon  saw  them  disappear  over  the  brow  of  a  hill.  They 
were  much  blacker  than  any  of  the  Arabs  we  had  seen  before, 
with  very  negro-like  features,  and  were  evidently  considerably 
behind  the  people  of  the  adjoining  countries  we  had  visited,  in 
the  scale  of  civilisation.  Their  sole  clothing  consisted  of  a 
piece  of  skin  fastened  round  the  waist. 

Baobab-trees  were  exceedingly  numerous.  They  nearly  all 
had  sticks  driven  into  their  trunks,  one  above  the  other,  to 
enable  the  natives  to  climb  them.  This  they  do,  not  merely 
for  the  purpose  of  gathering  the  fruit,  but  also  to  collect 
the  honey  which  is  often  found  in  large  quantities  in  these 
trees. 

On  our  journey  of  Jan.  31  we  saw  the  first  Base  village, 
called  Fodah,  a  small  collection  of  conical-roofed  huts,  perched, 
as  all  their  villages  are,  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  near  the 
top.  The  Base  not  only  inspire  terror  in  the  hearts  of  their 
neighbours,  but  are  themselves  very  much  in  dread  of  every  one 
else.  "Their  hand  is  against  every  man,  and  every  man's  hand 
against  them."  We  passed  by  some  tombs,  and  through  what 
had  been  ^^////rr^-fields,  but  saw  no  people.  The  Arabs  were 
most  anxious  that  we  should  not  fire  our  guns  until  we  had 
"interviewed"  some  of  the  natives,  as  they  feared  that  by 
doing  so  they  would  only  be  unnecessarily  alarmed.  There 
was  fortunately  very  little  provocation  to  do  so,  as  we  saw 
scarcely  any  game. 

The  whole  day's  march  was  at  some  distance  from  the  Gash, 
and,  as.  I  before  mentioned,  through  a  country  that  had  been 
recently  burned.  We  were  at  a  loss  to  imagine  what  could  be 
the  object  of  burning  so  much  country.  It  certainly  had  the 
effect  of  driving  away  every  head  of  game.  At  night  we  con- 
stantly saw  fires  on  the  hills ;  and  were  told,  that,  though  we 
did  not  see  them,  there  were  plenty  of  Base  living  all  about, 


STALKING  GIRAFFES. 


89 


and  that  they  made  these  fires  to  telegraph,  as  it  were,  that 
there  were  strangers  in  their  country. 

We  saw  the  footprints  of  great  numbers  of  giraffes  that  had 
been  there  during  the  last  rainy  season,  when  the  place  had 
been  little  better  than  a  swamp  ;  and  their  marks  in  the  mud 
had  dried  hard.  We  felt  there  was  no  chance  of  seeing  any 
of  the  animals  when  we  passed  through,  as  there  was  simply 
nothing  for  them  to  eat.  In  our  experience  of  African  game, 
with  the  exception  of  elephants,  giraffes  are  the  most  wide- 
ranging  of  all  ;  and  we  frequently  saw  their  footprints  at  very 
great  distances  from  water.  They  are  very  difficult  to  shoot, 
their  long  necks  giving  them  a  great  advantage  over  the  hunter, 
as  they  can  see  him  long  before  he  is  aware  of  their  being 
in  the  vicinity,  and  thus  frequently  make  off  without  being  seen 
at  all.  They  are,  moreover,  very  keen-scented.  Their  food 
chiefly  consists  of  the  leaves  of  the  trees,  which  are,  as  a  rule, 
so  low  that  their  long  necks  enable  them  to  see  over  them. 

One  day  my  brothers  had  gone  out  to  see  what  they  could 
obtain  in  the  way  of  game,  and  had  fallen  in  with  the  fresh 
marks  of  a  giraffe.  They,  therefore,  ascended  a  hill  to  observe 
if  any  were  in  sight,  and  soon  made  out  three  or  four,  feeding 
in  the  plain  below  them.  Quickly  taking  their  bearings,  they 
descended,  but  had  to  go  a  very  long  way  round,  to  avoid  ap- 
proaching them  down  wind.  After  a  very  long  stalk,  in  which 
they  became  much  heated,  they  felt  sure  they  could  not  be 
far  off,  and  were  advancing  very  cautiously,  moving  the  twigs 
of  the  trees  aside  with  their  hands  before  pushing  their  way 
through  them,  so  as  to  make  as  little  noise  as  possible,  when 
suddenly  they  heard  the  report  of  a  shot,  and  at  the  same 
moment  the  sound  of  some  heavy  animals  crashing  through 
the  jungle,  which  was  so  thick  that  they  could  not  be  seen, 
though  barely  a  hundred  yards  away.    One  of  the  Arabs, 


90 


HIDES  FOR  SHIELDS. 


to  whom  they  had  intrusted  an  express  rifle,  had  let  it  off.  It 
had  been  given  to  him  locked  ;  but  he  had  been  playing  with 
the  locks,  and  so  managed  to  discharge  it.  They  were  natu- 
rally greatly  annoyed  and  disappointed,  but  determined  to 
return  to  the  same  place  the  following  day ;  this  they  did,  and 
were  rewarded  by  shooting  a  very  fine  bull.  Although  there  is 
not  much  of  a  trophy  to  be  obtained  from  a  giraffe,  they  are 
much  valued  by  the  Arabs.  The  flesh  we  found  rather  tough 
and  strong,  but  we  ate  it  cooked  in  various  ways  ;  and  the  na- 
tives were  very  fond  of  it.  The  hide  is  exceedingly  tough,  and 
is  much  prized  for  making  shields ;  and  the  tails  make  excellent 
fly-whisks. 

Whenever  we  shot  a  large  animal,  such  as  a  buffalo  or  a 
giraffe,  there  was  a  great  clamouring  for  a  piece  of  hide  to 
make  a  shield.  Every  Arab  wanted  some,  and  we  endeav- 
oured to  divide  the  skin  as  fairly  as  possible ;  but  it  was  often 
difficult,  not  to  say  impossible,  to  satisfy  everybody,  and  we 
began  to  wish  the  animals  had  been  born  without  skins.  When 
they  did  not  want  to  manufacture  shields  out  of  the  hide  for 
their  own  use,  they  could  easily  obtain  a  dollar  at  the  nearest 
town  for  a  sufficient  quantity  to  make  one. 

The  trees  along  the  Gash  got  thicker  and  more  numerous,  the 
farther  we  plunged  into  the  country  ;  and  we  noticed  several 
varieties  we  had  not  met  with  before,  amongst  others,  some 
very  like  English  pear-trees  in  appearance.  There  was,  too,  a 
very  curious  grass,  with  a  head  to  it  like  cotton  ;  and  we 
regretted  that  none  of  our  party  were  botanists. 

After  a  night  spent  in  the  river-bed  opposite  Fodah,  we  pushed 
five  or  six  miles  farther  up,  and  encamped  near  a  large  village, 
situated  on  the  spur  of  a  hill  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Gash, 
and  called  Koolookoo  ;  we  suddenly  came  in  sight  of  this  place 
on  turning  a  bend  of  the  river.    The  inhabitants,  as  they  saw 


A  ''PALAVER''  WITH  THE  AUTHORITIES. 


91 


our  caravan  winding  along  the  river-bed,  were  seized  with  a 
panic  ;  and  with  our  glasses  we  could  see  them  crowding  to  the 
summit  of  the  hill  on  which  the  village  was  situated.  We 
placed  our  camp,  contrary  to  our  usual  custom,  in  the  river-bed, 
as  the  Arabs  were  afraid  to  spend  the  night  among  the  trees 
and  bushes  until  we  had  interviewed  and  made  friends  with  the 
people.  Here  it  was  necessary,  before  proceeding  any  farther, 
to  have  a  "palaver  "  with  the  authorities.  Accordingly,  as  soon 
as  we  arrived,  Bayrumphy  and  two  other  horsemen  rode  up 
to  the  village.  They  very  soon  returned,  bringing  with  them 
the  sheik's  son,  and  three  other  men.  The  sheik  himself  was 
away.  They  carried  spears  and  shields,  as  all  do  in  these 
countries.  These  they  left  on  the  bank  of  the  river  opposite  to 
that  on  which  we  were  sitting,  discussing  our  luncheon  ;  and 
crossed  over  to  us,  accompanied  by  Bayrumphy  and  the  other 
horsemen. 

Their  costume  was  exceedingly  simple  and  unpretending. 
It  consisted  of  a  scrap  of  dirty  cotton  cloth  tied  round  the 
waist,  with  an  undergarment  of  leather.  These  were,  however, 
the  grandees  of  the  village ;  and  we  afterwards  found  that 
scarcely  any  one,  not  of  exalted  rank,  indulged  himself  in  such 
an  excess  of  raiment.  We  presented  them  each  with  a  piece 
of  Manchester  cotton  cloth,  with  which  they  were  delighted ; 
and  proceeded,  without  further  delay,  to  divest  themselves  of 
what  little  clothing  they  possessed,  and  to  wTap  our  gifts  round 
their  waists  instead.  To  the  sheik's  son  we  presented,  in  addi- 
tion, a  piece  of  maroon  velvet,  on  which  were  fastened  little 
silvery  ornaments  like  buttons.  This  he  put  round  his  neck  in 
place  of  a  necklace  of  dried  palm-leaf,  which  he  discarded.  On 
his  wrists  he  wore  palm-leaf  bracelets  ;  and  as  we  had  no  better 
to  give  him,  he  stuck  to  his  own,  which  were  indeed  far  prettier 
than  any  we  could  have  given  him  in  their  place,  their  light- 


92 


A  ROYAL  SERVANT. 


yellow  colour  contrasting  well  with  the  glossy  black  of  his 
skin. 

This  sheik's  son,  whose  name  was  Longay,  stayed  with  us  the 
whole  time  we  were  in  the  Base  country,  and  was  throughout 
most  faithful  and  devoted.  In  alluding  to  him,  George  said 
one  day,  ''The  king's  son  is  learning  to  clean  knives  ;  "  and, 
indeed,  he  made  himself  most  useful  in  that  capacity,  as  well  as 
in  fetching  wood  for  the  cook,  and  drawing  water.  He  often, 
too,  induced  others  among  his  people  to  work  for  us,  when, 
without  his  help,  they  would  have  done  nothing  at  all.  On 
parting  from  us,  he  fairly  shed  tears ;  and,  altogether,  he  was 
the  best  specimen  of  the  completely  "untutored  savage"  I  ever 
came  across. 

We  gave  each  of  the  men  who  came  from  the  village  a  knife, 
a  looking-glass,  some  pins,  needles,  and  cotton  thread.  We 
had  bought  a  great  quantity  of  such  things  in  England,  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  them  as  presents  to  the  natives,  and  found 
them  most  useful.  We  regretted,  however,  that  we  had  not 
bought  more  Manchester  cotton  and  beads,  as  these  are  things 
they  appreciate  more  than  any  thing  you  can  give  them. 

We  could  see  from  our  camp  part  of  the  village  of  Koo- 
lookoo,  some  huts  built  on  the  spur  of  the  hill ;  and,  while 
this  interview  and  dressing-up  of  the  four  Base  was  in  pro- 
gress, their  brethren,  together  with  their  sisters,  their  cousins, 
and  their  aunts,"  had  clambered  up  a  great  rock  at  the  back 
of  the  village,  and  we  could  see  great  numbers  of  them  looking 
down  on  us,  and  wondering  who  we  were,  and  what  we  had 
come  for.  Our  people  did  not  at  all  admire  the  appearance 
of  the  Base,  who  they  declared  resembled  baboons.  The  Base 
have  a  very  peculiar  way  of  resting  (which  is,  I  believe,  com- 
mon among  many  of  the  tribes  on  the  White  Nile)  :  they  place 
the  sole  of  the  right  foot  against  the  left  knee,  a  mode  of  repose 


NATIVE  WOMEN. 


93 


which  to  a  European  seems  most  uncomfortable  and  almost 
impossible.  The  accompanying  wood-cut  is  engraved  from  a 
photograph  which  Aylmer  took  on  the  Mareb.  The  men  had 
no  idea  at  the  time,  that  they  were  being  taken,  so  that  the 
position  is  a  perfectly  natural  one. 

The  next  day  Lort  Phillips,  Colvin,  and  I,  with  two  of  the 
horsemen  and  three  or  four  Base,  rode  up  to  the  village  of 
Koolookoo.  Just  before  reaching  the  huts,  we  passed,  on  our 
right,  the  remains  of  a  house  built  of  sun-dried  brick,  which 
had  evidently  been  a  much  more  substantial  dwelling  than  any 
the  natives  ever  build.  This  house,  we  were  told,  had  been 
erected  by  Mr.  Powell,  an  English  gentleman,  who  with  his 
wife  and  child  had  been  murdered  by  the  Base  some  twelve  or 
fourteen  years  ago.  Mr.  Powell  was  the  brother  of  the  unfortu- 
nate gentleman  who  recently  perished  in  a  balloon-accident ;  he 
had  spent  some  time  at  Koolookoo,  and  had  entered  the  country 
from  the  north.  They  were  massacred,  not  at  Koolookoo  itself, 
but  by  some  people  who  lived  not  far  off,  the  same  who  made 
the  raid  on  Haikota,  which  has  previously  been  mentioned. 
Koolookoo  is  a  very  small  place,  and  the  conical-roofed  huts 
present  much  the  appearance  of  large  bee-hives.  There  was 
merely  the  semblance  of  a  path  leading  up  to  it ;  and  the  latter 
part  of  the  way  was  so  steep  we  were  obliged  to  dismount,  and 
proceed  on  foot. 

The  women  were  particularly  shy,  and  most  of  them  nearly 
naked  ;  all  wore  beads  and  cowrie-shells,  if  they  had  little  else  ; 
a  few  wore  anklets  made  of  the  skin  of  some  wild  animal ;  one 
carried  a  skin  cross-belt.  We  took  a  number  of  little  things 
with  us  to  give  away,  as  we  were  anxious  to  conciliate  the 
people  as  much  as  possible.  I  offered  one  woman  some  needles 
and  thread ;  a  gift  she  declined,  complaining  very  sorrowfully 
that  they  were  useless  to  her,  as  she  had  no  clothes,  and  con- 


94 


RAW-FLESH  EATERS. 


sequently  no  mending  of  old  garments  or  making  of  new  to 
effect.  Her  remark  was  almost  literally  true,  as  her  sole  cover- 
ing was  a  piece  of  goat-skin  worn  round  the  loins  as  an  apron. 

We  ascended  to  the  top  of  the  hill  above  the  village,  and 
were  rewarded  by  a  most  extensive  view,  and  saw  one  or  two 
other  small  villages  on  distant  hills  ;  on  the  top  of  this  one 
were  great  boulders  of  granite,  and  on  the  very  summit  a  hut. 
We  found  mats,  cooking-pots,  and  other  valuables,  stowed  away 
in  holes  in  the  rock  ;  as  the  natives,  when  they  first  descried 
us,  had  dragged  them  up  there,  fearing  we  might  prove  to  be 
enemies. 

In  the  afternoon  those  of  us  who  had  visited  Koolookoo  went 
out  shooting,  and  those  that  had  not  went  to  see  it.  We  killed 
two  ncllut  and  a  tctel,  to  the  great  delight  of  some  of  the  Base 
who  were  with  us.  They  ate  the  liver  raw,  first  squeezing  the 
contents  of  the  gall-bladder  over  it  to  give  it  a  flavour ;  this 
was  also  what  we  had  seen  the  Arabs  do  with  whom  we  had 
formerly  travelled.  Great  quantities  of  the  flesh  they  cooked 
on  the  spot,  and  bolted  in  enormous  mouthfuls.  The  inhabit- 
ants of  these  countries  at  their  meals  are  not  a  pretty  sight. 
I  have  seen  our  camel-drivers  devour  a  whole  bullock  raw  at  a 
sitting,  so  that  there  was  absolutely  only  the  skin  remaining. 
They  waste  nothing,  and  those  parts  that  with  us  are  thrown 
away  are  by  many  of  them  considered  the  choicest  morsels. 

We  were  anxious  to  give  an  entertainment  with  the  magic- 
lantern  after  dinner ;  but  the  bidden  guests  did  not  at  first  feel 
sufificient  confidence  in  us  to  trust  themselves  in  our  camp  at 
night.  The  women,  too,  who  were  usually  the  water-carriers, 
did  not  dare  for  a  day  or  two  to  come  down  from  the  A'illage  to 
the  Gash  to  get  water ;  and  this  duty  at  first  devolved  on  the 
men.  Very  soon,  however,  curiosity  overcame  this  fear,  and 
they  came  to  our  camp  in  crowds. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


Scarcity  of  Dhurra.  —  A  Number  of  Base  join  our  Camp.  —  Water-carriers.—^ 
Another  deserted  Village.  —  Ceremony  of  making  Peace.  —  Friendliness  of  the 
Base  Women.  —  The  Mareb.  —  Buffaloes  seen  for  the  First  Time. — More  Base 
join  the  Camp.  —  Exciting  Stalk  after  an  Ostrich.  —  A  Leper.  —  Game  abounds. 

On  Feb.  3  we  moved  forward  again.  The  dJmrra  was  running 
short ;  at  least,  the  time  was  not  far  distant  when  we  should 
have  none  left.  There  were  fifteen  horses  and  from  thirty  to 
forty  men  to  feed,  and  it  was  difficult  to  calculate  how  long  it 
would  last ;  for,  although  we  had  usually  enough  meat  for  the 
men,  they  could  not  live  entirely  upon  it.  Our  guides  told  us 
that  four  or  five  hours'  march  farther  up  the  Gash  there  was  a 
village  where  as  much  as  was  required  could  be  bought.  On 
our  arrival  there,  dJmrra  was  found  to  be  very  scarce,  and 
absurdly  dear ;  and,  while  we  wanted  it  by  the  camel-load,  the 
natives  only  brought  it  literally  in  handfuls.  In  fact,  very  little, 
almost  no  dhurra,  is  grown  on  the  Gash  much  above  Cassala. 
The  Base  did  not  care  for  money,  but  wanted  cotton  cloth  and 
beads,  which  they  wished  to  exchange  with  us  for  dJmrra.  We 
soon  saw,  however,  that  scarcely  any  was  to  be  obtained.  We 
were  obliged,  moreover,  to  be  very  chary  of  our  supply  of  cotton 
cloth  and  beads.  I  never  came  across  any  African  tribe  so 
fond  of  beads  as  the  Base ;  and  the  men  are  not  far  behind  the 
women  in  this  respect. 

The  village  near  which  the  dJmrra  was  supposed  to  grow  is 
called  Mai  Daro.    On  our  way,  numbers  of  Base  joined  us  ; 

95 


96 


''BEER''  IN  BASKETS. 


and  when  we  arrived  there  must  have  been  fully  eighty  to  a 
hundred  of  them.  They  had  fastened  themselves  to  us  in  the 
hope  of  getting  meat ;  and  we  were  obliged  to  explain  to  them, 
that  having  a  very  large  party  of  our  own  to  feed,  although  we 
hoped  to  obtain  sufficient  game  to  supply  them  as  well,  it 
was  impossible  for  us  to  promise  to  do  so.  They  replied,  that, 
when  they  could  get  no  meat,  they  would  live  on  the  fruit  of 
the  baobab-tree  ;  that  they  were  quite  accustomed  to  doing  so, 
and  frequently  had  no  other  food  to  depend  upon. 

On  our  way  to  Mai  Daro,  Lort  Phillips  and  I  came  across  a 
party  of  Base  felling  trees,  clearing  a  space  in  which  to  plant 
dJmrra  against  the  next  rainy  season.  On  first  beholding  us 
they  were  much  frightened,  probably  never  having  seen  white 
men  before,  and  were  going  to  run  away ;  but  we  both  ex- 
claimed MaicedaJi,''  a  Base  word  which  we  generally  found 
acted  on  them  as  a  kind  of  talisman ;  it  seems  to  signify  "  How 
do  you  do  V  and  ^'We  are  friends,"  in  one  :  its  enunciation,  at 
any  rate,  generally  had  a  magical  effect.  On  hearing  Maice- 
dah''  pronounced,  the  men  in  question  insisted  on  our  dis- 
mounting, and  gave  us  some  *'beer,"  made  of  dJuirra,  which 
they  were  drinking.  It  was  very  sour  and  extremely  nasty. 
They  had  a  great  quantity  of  it,  and  evidently  thought  it  very 
good,  judging  from  the  amount  they  consumed ;  several  of 
them  were  decidedly  intoxicated.  They  carry  all  liquids  in  very 
neatly  plaited  baskets,  made  by  the  women  out  of  the  leaves 
of  the  dJioiim-^-dSm,  —  so  finely  plaited  as  to  be  completely 
waterproof.  The  women  are  the  water-carriers  generally,  in 
fact  nearly  always.  The  water  is  a  long  way  from  the  vil- 
lages, as  there  is  never  any  on  the  hills  where  they  are  built. 
We  frequently  saw  the  women,  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  carrying 
these  baskets,  filled  with  water,  back  to  their  huts  ;  each  woman 
carried  two,  fastened  one  at  each  end  of  a  pole  by  means  of 


A  DESERTED  VILLAGE, 


97 


cord  made  of  the  fibre  of  the  <r///i^//;;/-palm.  The  village  of 
Mai  Daro  was  at  some  distance  from  the  Gash,  and  we  never 
visited  it ;  I  took  a  walk,  however,  up  a  hill  at  the  back  of  our 
camp,  and  found  the  remains  of  a  small  village  lately  burned. 
All  that  part  of  the  country  had  suffered  much  from  fire,  it 
being  impossible  rightly  to  determine  whether  occasioned  by 
accident  or  design. 

On  the  top  of  a  hill  not  far  off,  was  a  deserted  village, 
having  evidently  been  abandoned  in  a  hurry  ;  very  likely  the 
inhabitants  had  been  driven  away  by  the  people  of  a  neigh- 
bouring town,  as  the  Base  are  any  thing  but  a  united  people, 
and  are  constantly  quarrelling  among  themselves.  Most  of 
the  huts  were  placed  in  small  enclosures  made  of  the  dried 
stalks  of  the  dJmrra.  In  the  dwellings  we  found  cooking-pots, 
gourds  for  drinking,  and  roughly  made  wooden  bedsteads  ;  our 
men  appropriated  some  of  the  cooking-utensils  for  their  own 
use.  In  one  house  was  a  huge  earthenware  jar,  resembling 
one  of  the  celebrated  jars  in  the  old  story  of  Ali  Baba,  or 
the  Forty  Thieves  ;  it  had  probably  been  used  as  a  receptacle 
for  grain,  most  likely  dhurra.  Terraces,  looking  quite  like 
those  built  for  the  vines  in  France  and  Italy,  were  to  be 
seen  on  the  side  of  the  hill  on  which  this  cereal  had  been 
grown. 

In  the  evening  the  sheik  of  Mai  Daro  arrived  in  camp ;  and 
we  went  through  the  ceremony  of  making  aindn,  or  peace,  with 
him  and  his  people.  We  had  done  the  same  before  at  Koo- 
lookoo  with  our  friend  Longay,  the  sheik's  son.  It  consisted  in 
the  sheik  placing  his  naked  sword  on  the  ground,  and  drawing 
his  foot  along  it,  the  blade  passing  between  his  bare  foot  and 
his  sandal ;  after  which,  he  placed  the  palm  of  his  hand  on  his 
sword,  and  uttered  some  cabalistic  words  indicative  of  peace 
and  good-will  towards  us  all. 


98 


A  RIVER   WITHOUT  A  MOUTH, 


The  women  gradually  became  quite  confiding,  and  displayed 
that  passion  for  admiration  and  attention  common  to  the  sex 
over  both  the  civilised  and  uncivilised  world.  Numbers  came 
to  have  their  photographs  taken  by  my  brother,  and  were 
greatly  delighted  when  we  noticed  their  beads.  Both  men 
and  women  greatly  appreciated  the  red  tinsel  capsules  we  had 
on  some  claret  bottles  :  the  men  in  particular  greatly  affected 
these  as  ornaments,  —  some  beating  them  into  a  square  shape, 
and  hanging  them  round  their  necks,  while  others  tipped  the 
ends  of  the  wooden  skewers  which  all  the  men  wear  in  their 
hair  with  the  bright-coloured  bauble. 

We  again  proposed  the  magic-lantern  ;  and  this  time  a  num- 
ber came  to  the  entertainment,  with  which  they  seemed  to  be 
greatly  delighted. 

Our  next  camping-ground  was  about  ten  miles  farther  up 
the  river's  bed,  on  a  burnt  patch  of  ground  between  some  high 
grass  and  the  Gash.  The  natives  declared  we  had  reached  the 
Mareb,  of  which  they  had  been  talking  for  days.  The  Gash 
and  Mareb  are  one  and  the  same  thing.  The  Arabs  of  the 
Soudan  call  it  the  Gash ;  the  Abyssinians,  the  Mareb ;  and 
the  Base,  the  Sonah.  It  rises  in  Abyssinia,  and  flows  only  dur- 
ing the  rains ;  even  then,  although  a  very  broad  and  swiftly 
flowing  river,  none  of  its  waters  reach  the  sea,  being  lost  in 
the  sands  of  the  desert.  The  Arabs  have  the  vaguest  ideas 
of  geography,  and  know  next  to  nothing  of  the  countries  im- 
mediately surrounding  the  places  where  they  arc  living  them- 
selves. For  a  long  time  all  the  men  we  had  with  us,  if  they 
offered  an  opinion  at  all,  insisted  that  the  Mareb  and  Gash 
were  perfectly  distinct  and  different  water-courses  :  they  were, 
however,  at  last  forced  to  acknowledge  them  to  be  one  and 
the  same.  They  also  declared  that  we  should  find  that  the 
Mareb  was  a  flowing  river ;  instead  of  which,  all  the  water  has 


FIRST  BUFFALOES  SEEN. 


99 


to  be  obtained  by  digging,  unless  a  small  quantity  appears 
above  the  level  of  the  bed.  I  do  not  think  that  during  the 
dry  season  it  flows  even  far  up  in  Abyssinia,  although  the 
water  there,  no  doubt,  appears  more  frequently  on  the  surface. 

The  country  improved  in  appearance  as  we  travelled  on,  and 
gave  more  promise  of  game  ;  there  were  not  nearly  so  many 
d/ioum-p3.\ms,  and  the  trees  fringing  the  river's  bank  were 
often  of  an  immense  size  and  in  full  leaf,  affording  the  most 
perfect  shade  ;  then,  again,  these  trees  would  disappear  for  a 
time,  and  give  place  to  acres  of  very  high,  thick  grass. 

On  Feb.  4,  while  on  the  march,  we  saw  our  first  buffa- 
loes; we  came  upon  them  suddenly  while  riding  in  the  river's 
bed.  They  were  in  the  tall  grass,  and  the  first  intimation  we 
received  of  their  whereabouts  was  hearing  a  great  stampede  as 
they  rushed  out  into  the  river's  bed  and  across  to  the  other 
side,  where  they  again  disappeared  into  thick  covert.  There 
were  three  of  them,  and  Aylmer  and  my  brother  William 
started  in  pursuit.  They  had  not  been  gone  for  more  than 
an  hour  when  we  saw  a  fine  bull  buffalo  cross  over  about  two 
hundred  yards  in  front  of  us.  Two  of  our  party  eagerly  started 
after  him,  and  one  of  them  got  a  snap  shot  in  very  thick  covert 
at  about  seventy  yards  ;  he  went  crashing  through  the  jungle, 
and,  though  they  followed  his  footprints  for  some  distance,  they 
saw  no  more  of  him.  The  others  were  not  so  fortunate  as  to 
see  any-thing  of  their  buffaloes,  though  they  only  gave  up  the 
chase  when  twilight  made  it  necessary  to  seek  the  camp. 
Probably  the  single  bull  that  was  fired  at  was  one  of  the 
three  buffaloes  we  had  seen  crossing  the  river's  bed  together. 
The  same  day  I  killed  a  poisonous  snake  about  four  feet  long : 
this  was  the  first  we  had  seen.  We  never  came  across  any 
tree-snakes :  the  previous  winter,  we  had  found  them  not  un- 
common, and  the  natives  declared  them  to  be  very  venomous, 


lOO 


A  GOOD  DAY'S  SPORT. 


During  the  night  some  of  us  were  awakened  by  a  great  noise 
in  the  grass  near  our  tents.  Colvin  and  Aylmer  jumped  out 
of  bed,  and,  hastily  seizing  their  rifles,  went  to  see  what  was 
causing  the  disturbance.  Unfortunately  it  was  not  a  very 
bright  night,  the  moon  being  partly  obscured  by  clouds.  Sud- 
denly they  came  upon  a  herd  of  about  thirty  buffaloes,  drink- 
ing at  a  small  pool  of  stagnant  water ;  the  beasts  either  saw 
or  heard  them,  and  went  off  with  a  great  noise  through  the 
grass,  fortunately  for  them  in  the  opposite  direction  from  that 
in  which  they  were  approaching.  Both  fired  as  they  galloped 
off,  but  it  was  impossible  in  the  semi-darkness  for  them  to  do 
more  than  fire  at  the  black  mass ;  as  they  neither  saw  nor 
heard  any  fall,  they  could  not  tell  whether  they  might  claim 
the  first  buffalo.  Early  the  next  morning  they  started  off  to 
see  if  they  could  discover  anything  further  of  them ;  and  did 
not  return  to  camp  until  nine  p.m.,  having  enjoyed  an  excellent 
day's  sport.  They  had  not  long  left  the  camp  before  they 
found  the  blood  tracks  of  a  buffalo  they  had  wounded  during 
the  night.  After  following  these  for  some  distance,  all  the 
way  through  high  grass,  they  came  to  a  slight  eminence,  up 
which  they  climbed,  and,  gaining  the  summit,  saw  the  buffalo 
moving  slowly  along  the  margin  of  the  grass.  Aylmer  ob- 
tained a  snap  shot  at  about  a  hundred  yards,  with  the  result 
of  driving  the  animal  farther  into  the  grass,  where  Salee,  who 
had  climbed  to  the  top  of  a  tree,  declared  he  saw  it  lie  down. 
Step  by  step  they  cautiously  advanced  to  the  edge  of  the 
grass,  sending  Salee  round  to  endeavour,  by  throwing  stones 
and  clods  of  earth,  to  drive  the  buffalo  toward  them ;  this  was, 
however,  of  no  avail,  and,  thinking  it  possible  that  it  was  al- 
ready hors  de  combat,  they  gingerly  entered  the  covert,  which 
in  that  part  was  sufficiently  thin  to  allow  of  their  seeing  some 
six  or  seven  yards  ahead, 


HUMAN  VULTURES. 


lOI 


They  had  not  proceeded  many  yards  when  a  crash,  accompa- 
nied by  a  warning  shout  from  Salee,  was  heard  ;  and  turning 
quickly  round  they  espied  the  buffalo  making  for,  and  almost 
on  the  top  of  them.  A  well-directed  shot  from  Colvin  brought 
the  infuriated  beast  on  to  its  head  :  it  quickly  struggled  to  its 
feet,  however,  and  endeavoured  to  charge  again,  but  feebly ;  and 
another  bullet  soon  administered  the  coup-de-grdce.  Unfortu- 
nately it  proved  to  be  a  female  ;  the  shot  fired  the  previous  night 
had  only  wounded  her  in  the  hind-quarters.  The  breath  was 
hardly  out  of  her  body  vC-hen  the  Base,  who,  like  vultures,  had 
been  watching  the  contest  from  afar,  flocked  to  the  scene. 
Words  fail  to  convey  an  adequate  sense  of  the  filthy  spectacle 
that  then  took  place.  No  sooner  had  the  head  been  removed, 
and  the  body  abandoned  to  them,  than  with  yells  and  shouts 
they  precipitated  themselves  upon  the  carcase,  struggling  for 
the  possession  of  what  they  looked  upon  as  titbits.  All  was 
fish  that  came  to  their  net,  entrails  and  every  abomination 
included  ;  and  no  pack  of  jackals  or  hyaenas  ever  left  a  cleaner 
skeleton.  Entrails,  and  all  parts  that  could  not  conveniently 
be  transported,  were  devoured  raw  on  the  spot ;  and  their 
black  hides  were  soon  dyed  in  gore,  as  they  wallowed  in  the 
horrible  mess. 

In  the  afternoon  Colvin  and  Aylmer  each  shot  a  buck  viehe- 
deJict^  or  water-buck  {Redunca  Ellipsiprymnd) ^  a  very  fine  spe- 
cies of  antelope,  which  we  had  never  seen  before.  They  have 
red  hair,  much  like  red  deer,  and  fine  annulated  horns,  and 
are  very  plucky  beasts.  One  of  them,  when  wounded,  tried 
to  charge  Colvin  when  he  approached  it  :  he  had  shot  it 
at  about  two  hundred  yards  range,  having  hit  it  rather  far 
back. 

Two  oays  later  a  dead  cow  buffalo  was  discovered,  that  had 
been  shot  on  the  night  of  the  4th.    It  was  found  near  the  back 


I02 


MORE  BASE  VISITORS. 


of  the  camp,  close  to  a  small  pool  of  water ;  and,  although  in 
an  absolutely  putrid  condition,  the  Base  ate  it  with  relish,  re- 
gardless of  the  fact  that  they  had  plenty  of  freshly  killed  meat 
in  camp  at  the  time.  With  such  a  crowd  of  natives  about  as 
we  had,  it  soon  becomes  desirable  to  shift  one's  quarters : 
scraps  of  meat  are  carelessly  thrown  about  anywhere,  and  the 
trees  are  soon  festooned  with  strips  of  meat  drying  in  the  sun. 
The  stench  caused  by  quantities  of  half-putrid  meat  about  the 
camp  can  more  easily  be  imagined  than  described ;  it  is,  more-" 
over,  apt  to  breed  fever  and  dysentery. 

More  Bas6  arrived,  and  joined  our  camp,  and  we  began  to 
think  it  was  possible  to  have  too  much  of  a  good  thing ;  we  had 
again  to  explain  to  them,  that,  while  we  should  gladly  do  our 
best  to  supply  them  with  meat,  yet  we  could  not  promise  to  do 
so,  as  our  own  party  was  so  large  without  taking  into  account 
the  Base ;  we  could  say  no  more  when  they  urged  that  if  there 
was  no  meat  they  would  be  perfectly  satisfied  with  the  fruit  of 
the  dJLotmi-'\^2\m.  and  baobab-tree.  They  certainly  added  to 
the  picturesqueness  of  the  camp  ;  we  made  them  keep  outside 
our  zariba^  and  they  slept  in  the  river's  bed,  each  man  planting 
his  spear  in  the  sand,  which,  as  they  usually  placed  them  all  near 
together,  had  a  very  odd  effect.  Sometimes  we  had  as  many 
as  two  hundred  of  them,  then  there  appeared  quite  a  forest  of 
spears.  As  they  wore  scarcely  any  clothing,  and  the  nights 
were  very  cold,  they  were  in  the  habit  of  lighting  a  great  num- 
ber of  fires,  which  they  placed  very  close  together,  each  fire 
serving  for  two  or  three  men.  When  well  supplied  with  meat, 
they  became  very  merry,  and  ardent  votaries  of  Terpsichore; 
and  what  their  dances  lacked  in  grace,  they  more  than  made  up 
for  by  the  wildness  and  picturesqueness  which  they  added  to 
the  scene.  Some  of  them  began  to  make  themselves  useful  as 
well  as  ornamental,  fetching  fire-wood  for  the  cook,  and  carrying 


STALKING  AN  OSTRICH, 


103 


our  water-barrels  down  to  the  wells  we  had  dug  in  the  Mareb, 
filling  them  and  taking  them  back  to  camp  ;  in  fact,  we  became 
the  best  of  friends. 

On  the  same  day  that  Colvin  shot  the  buffalo,  William  and  I 
had  a  most  exciting  stalk  after  an  ostrich.  It  was  a  fine  black 
cock,  and  none  of  us  had  ever  seen  one  of  these  birds  in  its 
wild  state  before.  We  had  gone  a  long  way  from  the  Mareb ; 
and  on  ascending  a  small  hill,  in  order  to  get  a  good  view  of  the 
surrounding  country,  we  suddenly  discovered  the  ostrich.  It  is 
at  all  times  an  exceedingly  difficult  bird  to  approach,  generally 
keeping  to  the  open,  and  being  always  on  the  look-out  for 
danger.  The  ostrich  is  supposed  by  the  natives  to  be  deficient 
in  the  senses  of  hearing  and  smelling,  but  to  have  abnormal 
powers  of  sight.  The  one  we  saw  was  by  no  means  an 
exception  to  the  rule ;  it  was  marching  about  in  a  great  open 
plain,  covered  with  very  fine  dried  grass  not  more  than  two  feet 
high.  To  stalk  it  was  next  to  impossible,  owing  to  the  almost 
total  absence  of  covert ;  however,  we  were  most  anxious  to  do 
our  best,  an  ostrich  being  a  prize  one  did  not  get  the  chance  of 
obtaining  every  day. 

For  two  mortal  hours  we  crouched  and  crawled,  and  wriggled 
ourselves  along  the  grass  like  eels,  during  the  very  hottest  part 
of  a  roasting-hot  day  ;  once  or  twice  we  stopped  to  rest  for  a 
few  moments  under  a  hegleek-trQC.  There  was  only  an  odd  tree 
or  two  in  the  grass,  which  we  kept  endeavouring  to  make  use 
of  as  screens  between  ourselves  and  the  ostrich.  On  crawling 
near  the  tree  in  hopes  of  finding  the  game  within  shot  on  the 
far  side,  we  discovered  that  we  were  no  nearer  to  the  object  of 
our  pursuit,  as  the  ostrich  had  walked  on  all  the  time,  and  was 
probably  farther  than  ever  from  us.  At  last,  finding  it  hopeless 
to  get  at  it  in  the  open,  we  endeavoured  to  drive  it  towards  a 
clump  of  trees  to  our  left ;  all  to  no  purpose,  as  it  was  well  on 


VARIATIONS  OF  TEMPERATURE, 


the  alert,  and  would  never  let  us  get  nearer  than  four  hundred 
yards.    And  so  we  never  even  fired  at  it. 

I  don't  think  I  was  ever  so  hot  in  my  life.  My  clothes  were 
literally  saturated  with  perspiration  ;  I  sat  under  the  shade  of  a 
tree,  while  I  took  off  my  things,  and  dried  them  in  the  sun. 
We  never  felt  any  ill  effects  from  the  heat,  although  constantly 
taking  violent  exercise  during  the  hottest  hours  of  the  day ;  in 
fact,  we  were  always  better  when  camping  out,  shooting  in  the 
wilds,  than  when  stopping  in  towns  where  there  was  very  little 
inducement  to  take  exercise.  Taking  plenty  of  exercise  is  the 
only  way  to  keep  well  in  a  very  hot  climate.  Although  we  never 
feared  the  sun,  we  always  treated  it  with  proper  respect ;  our 
pith  helmets  were  the  very  thickest  that  could  be  bought ; 
mine,  an  immensely  thick  one,  I  had  got  four  years  previously 
at  Benares,  served  me  for  two  winters  in  the  Soudan.  We  wore 
besides,  down  our  spines,  thick  pads  made  of  cotton-wadding 
quilted,  a  good  inch  or  more  thick  ;  these  were  buttoned  into 
our  coats. 

The  days  were  mtensely  hot,  and  very  dry.  I  have  seen  as 
many  as  thirty-five  degrees  difference  between  the  wet  and  dry 
bulb  ;  for  some  hours  every  day  the  thermometer  would  range 
from  85°  to  95°  in  the  shade,  usually  nearer  the  latter  than  the 
former  temperature.  I  had  a  thermometer  made  expressly  by 
Casella  of  Holborn,  for  testing  the  heat  of  the  sun's  rays,  which, 
like  all  my  thermometers,  had  been  corrected  at  Kew;  and 
I  have  seen  it  rise  during  the  day  to  164°  Fahrenheit,  the  usual 
maximum  being  from  150°  to  158°.  The  nights  were  very  cold, 
especially  in  the  early  mornings.  After  dinner,  in  the  Mareb, 
we  frequently  liked  to  sit  round  a  blazing  fire.  About  dawn  I 
have  seen  the  thermometer  go  down  to  37°,  and  night  after  night 
it  would  descend  to  42°  or  50°.  We  found  these  cold  nights 
most  agreeable,  bracing  us  up  as  they  did  to  endure  the  heat  of 


A  BASE  LEPER, 


the  clay.  The  dews  were  frequently  so  heavy  that  the  ground 
in  the  morning  would  be  as  wet  as  though  it  had  been  raining 
heavily  ;  it  was  impossible  to  know  when  to  expect  them,  as 
the  night  after  one,  and  in  the  same  place,  it  would  perhaps  be 
quite  dry. 

On  our  return  to  camp  I  saw  some  /////,  and  missed  one 
very  badly.  This  was  the  only  shot  either  of  us  fired  all  day. 
We  saw  the  fresh  tracks  of  more  than  one  rhinoceros,  an 
animal  none  of  us  had  ever  encountered.  A  great  addition  to 
the  cuisine  was  made  by  Ali  our  cook,  in  the  shape  of  wild 
tomatoes,  which  he  found  growing  near  the  Mareb  ;  they  were 
small,  but  of  good  flavour.  Ali  had  travelled  formerly  along 
that  part  of  the  Mareb  which  runs  through  Abyssinia,  where 
he  said  there  was  any  quantity ;  and  he  had  been  on  the  look- 
out for  them  for  days. 

One  day  when  Aylmer  and  Colvin  were  out  shooting,  they 
came  across  a  most  saddening  sight.  Late  in  the  afternoon 
they  had  shot  a  couple  of  antelopes,  one  of  which  they  had 
left  in  the  bush  whilst  engaged  in  cutting  up  the  other.  On 
returning  to  the  first  one,  they  discovered  one  of  the  most 
loathsome  specimens  of  suffering  humanity  it  had  ever  been 
their  lot  to  witness  ;  a  bent  and  decrepit  old  man,  wasted  with 
disease,  and  covered  with  the  most  hideous  sores,  was  busily 
employed  in  gorging  himself  upon  the  antelope's  entrails.  He 
proved  to  be  a  leper,  who  had  been  ostracised  by  his  tribe  on 
account  of  his  disease.  How  he  kept  body  and  soul  together, 
it  was  impossible  to  divine.  The  Base  who  were  with  them 
expressed  the  utmost  fear  of  approaching  him,  and  were 
horrified  at  Colvin  for  daring  to  tender  him  a  more  tempting 
portion  of  the  animal. 

We  spent  two  more  days  in  shooting,  before  shifting  our 
camp.    There  was,  evidently,  plenty  of  game ;  but  owing  to  the 


io6 


SCARCITY  OF  LIONS. 


immense  quantity  of  high  grass,  it  was  often  difficult  to  get  at 
it.  The  only  species  of  big  game  of  which  we  were  astonished 
to  find  a  scarcity,  was  the  lion  ;  we  had  neither  heard  nor  seen 
any  since  leaving  Toadelook,  and  had,  moreover,  come  across 
hardly  any  of  their  tracks.  Giraffes  we  had  seen  tolerably 
often,  but  had  shot  only  one ;  and,  as  long  as  other  meat  was 
plentiful,  we  were  not  very  anxious  to  kill  any  more.  One  day 
during  the  march,  while  halting  under  a  tree,  we  had  allowed 
the  caravan  to  get  ahead  of  us  ;  and  two  or  three  ran  across  the 
river's  bed,  just  ahead  of  the  camels. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


Aylmer  and  I  start  for  Ma  Ambasah,  and  find  Water.  —  A  Chase  after  Buffaloes. — 
Conical  versus  Spherical  Bullets.  —  A  Nasty  Recoil.  —  A  Visit  from  Sheik  Ku- 
dul.  —  He  departs,  promising  to  return.  —  The  Camp  moves  to  Ma  Ambasah. — 
Two  Bull  Buffaloes  killed.  —  Some  of  the  Camel-drivers  sent  to  Amedeb  for 
Dhurra. 

One  morning  Aylmer  and  I  started  off  for  a  kJior  called 
Ma  Ambasah,  where  there  was  said  to  be  a  good  deal  of  water ; 
it  ran  into  the  right  bank  of  the  Mareb,  about  eight  or  ten 
miles  above  our  camp.  On  our  way  there  we  each  shot  a  tetely 
after  one  of  which  we  had  a  long  chase  before  finally  securing 
him  ;  these  we  shot  soon  after  leaving  camp,  so  we  sent  them 
back  on  one  of  the  two  camels  we  had  taken  with  us  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  game. 

On  arriving  at  Khor  Ma  Ambasah,  we  found,  that,  although 
there  were  no  large  pools  of  water  such  as  we  had  been  led  to 
expect,  still  a  good  deal  of  water  filtered  up  through  the  sand 
in  several  places. 

There  were  plenty  of  very  fresh  tracks  of  buffaloes  in  the 
sandy  khor^  and  these  animals  had  dug  holes  in  the  sand  in  order 
more  easily  to  obtain  a  supply  of  water  to  drink. 

We  had  struck  this  khor  at  its  junction  with  the  Mareb, 
which  we  had  followed  up  to  this  point ;  and,  after  having  gone 
about  a  mile  up  its  bed  from  this  junction,  we  set  off  to  shoot 
our  way  back  to  camp,  intending  to  cut  off  the  angle  formed  by 
the  junction  of  the  two  khors.    We  had  only  just  started,  and 

107 


io8 


MORE  BUFFALOES  SHOT, 


one  of  our  men  had  run  on  ahead  to  the  top  of  a  small  knoll  on 
our  left,  to  look  out  for  game,  when  we  saw  him  frantically  ges- 
ticulating to  us  to  follow  him ;  this  we  did  at  our  best  pace,  and 
found  some  buffaloes  crossing  the  rising  ground  about  fifty 
yards  off,  separated  from  us  by  a  narrow  ravine.  We  each 
singled  out  one,  and  fired ;  mine  fell  immediately  to  the  shot, 
but  Aylmer's,  though  hard  hit,  went  on. 

Hearing  the  report  of  the  shots,  some  dozen  or  more  buffa- 
loes that  had  been  hidden  from  us  by  the  trees,  rushed  past ;  we 
fired  at  them,  but  with  no  result,  as  far  as  we  could  see  at  the 
time.  The  buffalo  I  had  shot,  which  was  unfortunately  a  cow, 
though  a  very  large  one,  was  nearly  done  for,  and  could  not  rise ; 
so  I  put  an  end  to  her  sufferings  by  a  ball  in  the  neck.  Then  we 
lost  no  time  in  starting  off  to  see  what  had  become  of  Aylmer's 
wounded  beast ;  there  was  no  difficulty  in  finding  a  very  distinct 
blood-track,  and  on  following  it  up  for  about  a  hundred  yards 
we  came  across  another  cow,  this  time  stone  dead. 

It  is  all  very  well  to  talk  about  singling  out  the  bulls,  but  it 
is  by  no  means  an  easy  thing  to  do.  Sometimes  one  comes 
across  single  buffaloes  that  have  separated  themselves  from  the 
herd.  These  are  sure  to  be  bulls,  and  very  savage  bulls  too.  In 
meeting  with  a  herd,  all  that  you  can  see,  as  a  rule,  is  a  number 
of  buffaloes,  glimpses  of  which  you  catch  between  the  trees ; 
for  you  are  far  more  likely  to  find  them  in  pretty  thick  covert 
than  in  open  country.  You  fire  at  what  you  imagine  to  be  a 
bull,  and  the  leader  of  the  herd.  At  your  shot  three  or  four 
more  buffaloes  that  were  in  front,  hidden  by  the  bushes,  rush 
out ;  and  you  discover,  to  your  annoyance,  that  you  have  only 
fired  at  a  cow. 

I  had  been  nearly  deafened  by  the  report  of  my  rifle,  as  well 
as  almost  knocked  down.  For  the  first  time  I  had  tried  the 
effect  of  conical  instead  of  spherical  bullets  (which  I  had 


BOTH  BARRELS  AT  ONCE.  109 

hitherto  been  using)  in  my  ten-bore  rifle  ;  although  this  rifle 
was  supposed  to  be  made  to  shoot  both,  the  locks  were  proba- 
bly not  strong  enough,  as  the  concussion  caused  by  firing  the 
right  barrel  was  so  great  that  the  left  one  went  off  simply  from 
the  jar  produced.  The  effect  of  firing  from  one's  shoulder 
fourteen  drachms  of  powder  and  a  good  six  ounces  of  lead  was 
by  no  means  an  agreeable  experience ;  and,  had  a  buffalo 
charged  me,  I  should  have  been  in  a  decidedly  awkward  pre- 
dicament. The  recoil  was  so  great,  that  it  had  fairly  spun  me 
round  like  a  teetotum,  and  my  hat  had  been  sent  flying.  The 
conical  bullets  are  far  heavier  than  the  spherical.  Exactly  the 
same  accident  happened  to  my  brother  Arthur's  rifle  a  few 
days  later,  and  from  the  same  cause  ;  we  decided  that  in  future 
we  would  content  ourselves  with  spherical  bullets,  although  the 
rifle  should  certainly  have  been  able  to  shoot  both. 

It  was  long  after  dark  by  the  time  we  got  back  to  camp,  and 
we  found  all  the  others  had  returned  before  us.  Lort  Phillips 
and  Colvin,  who  had  been  out  together,  had  seen  a  good  many 
buffaloes,  but  had  not  succeeded  in  bagging  any.  Salee,  who 
had  been  with  them,  came  across  a  rhinoceros  in  high  grass, 
which  was,  however,  of  such  extent  and  thickness,  that  it  was 
impossible  for  them  to  get  near  it.  In  following  game  into 
high  grass,  the  utmost  that  can  be  done  is  to  have  a  snap-shot 
at  an  animal  making  off,  alarmed  by  the  noise  of  approaching 
footsteps  ;  and,  oftener  than  not,  it  is  heard  running  away  with- 
out being  seen,  although  it  may  perhaps  be  within  two  or  three 
yards  of  one's  rifle. 

Neither  of  my  brothers  shot  any  thing  that  day,  though  they 
saw  buffaloes,  ostriches,  and  two  giraffes,  and  they  might  have 
shot  /////  or  nellut,  had  they  wished  to  do  so  ;  but  it  frequently 
happened  that  we  felt  obliged  to  abstain  from  shooting  ante- 
lopes, for  fear  that  by  so  doing  we  should  lose  a  chance  at  bigger 


no 


ELEPHANTS  SEEN. 


game.  There  were,  in  fact,  no  days  after  we  were  once  fairly 
in  the  game  country,  on  which  we  could  not  have  shot  ante- 
lope, of  one  kind  or  another,  if  desirous  of  doing  so  ;  and  there 
were  such  numbers  of  natives  about  our  camp  that  we  felt 
we  could  shoot  a  great  deal,  and  yet  that  no  meat  would  be 
wasted. 

A  very  bad  piece  of  luck  happened  to  us  that  same  day. 
While  we  were  all  out  in  different  directions,  shooting,  two 
elephants  passed  within  sight  of  the  camp  ;  they  were  first  seen 
by  some  of  our  servants,  who  pointed  them  out  to  the  doctor. 
He  did  not  shoot,  but  walked  out  some  distance  from  camp, 
so  as  to  get  a  good  view  of  them.  The  next  day  some  of  us 
took  up  their  tracks  ;  and  after  going  a  very  long  way,  and 
seeing  nothing  of  them,  gave  it  up,  and  returned  to  camp. 

A  country  may  fairly  lay  claim  to  being  considered  a  gamey 
one,  where  elephants,  rhinoceri,  buffaloes,  giraffes,  and  ostriches 
are  all  seen  on  the  same  day,  and  where,  in  addition,  are  found 
seven  or  eight  varieties  of  antelopes,  wild  boars  (or  rather  wart- 
hogs),  to  say  nothing  of  lions  and  panthers,  which,  though  scarce 
in  that  particular  part  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  were  nevertheless 
to  be  occasionally  found.  As  for  birds,  there  were  swarms  of 
guinea-fowl,  partridges,  pigeons,  and  doves,  and  many  birds  of 
brilliant  plumage,  if  any  one  cared  to  collect  them.  Only  once 
did  any  of  us  obtain  shots  at  ostriches,  and  then  at  such  tre- 
mendously long  ranges,  that  it  was,  practically  speaking, 
almost  useless  to  fire.  They  invariably  kept  to  the  open,  and 
were  so  extremely  wary  that  we  could  never  approach  unper- 
ceived. 

The  following  day  my  brother  William  had  a  shot  at  a  wart- 
hog  with  a  fine  pair  of  tusks,  one  of  four  he  came  across  in  the 
bed  of  the  Mareb ;  unluckily  he  missed  it,  so  we  had  no  pork 
for  dinner  that  day.    I  must  say  it  was  no  great  disappoint- 


A  GRAND  INVESTITURE, 


111 


ment  to  me,  as  the  flesh  of  the  wart-hog,  though  eatable  when 
you  can  get  nothing  better,  is  not  a  thing  to  yearn  after. 

On  the  7th,  the  clay  before  we  shifted  our  camp  to  Ma  Am- 
basah,  which  was  destined  to  be  our  farthest  camp  in  an 
eastward  direction,  we  had  a  visit  from  a  peculiarly  villanous- 
looking  Base  sheik,  rejoicing  in  the  name  of  Kudul.  We  were 
informed  that  he  was  the  most  powerful  sheik  in  those  parts, 
and  that  it  would  be  politic  to  propitiate  him  with  some  more 
valuable  gift  than  any  we  had  heretofore  bestowed.  Accord- 
ingly, from  a  box  that  we  designated  "the  present-box,"  be- 
cause it  was  full  of  things  we  had  brought  to  distribute  among 
the  natives,  we  unearthed  a  very  handsome  abba,  or  cloak,  of 
blue  silk,  with  a  great  deal  of  gold  thread  worked  upon  it,  which 
we  had  bought  in  the  Cairo  bazaars,  and  invested  him  with  it. 
The  ceremony  took  place  in  the  presence  of  a  great  crowd  of 
his  people ;  and,  although  perhaps  not  so  important  an  investi- 
ture as  that  of  the  Garter  with  us  in  England,  it  was,  never- 
theless, a  very  grand  and  solemn  affair.  Round  his  head  we 
twisted  a  gaudy  silk  kiifeeych  of  many  colours,  and  wound  a 
magenta  Cimiberbiind  round  his  waist. 

He  was  greatly  delighted  with  his  appearance  as  displayed  in 
a  looking-glass  we  gave  him.  It  was  most  decidedly  startling  ! 
I  fear  our  gorgeous  gifts  would  very  soon  become  shabby,  or 
covered  with  grease  from  the  amount  of  fat  he  was  in  the 
habit  of  putting  on  his  head ;  then,  too,  most  likely  he  would 
become  not  only  an  object  of  admiration,  but  of  envy,  to  his' 
Abyssinian  neighbours ;  and  some  of  the  more  powerful  chiefs 
among  them  would,  doubtless,  very  soon  deprive  him  of  our 
gifts. 

He  informed  us,  that,  when  he  first  heard  of  our  travelling  in 
his  country,  he  thought  we  must  be  Turks,  come  with  Sheik 
Said  Carcashi  (the  powerful  Base  sheik  who  is  under  the  thumb 


112  SHEIK  KUDUL. 

of  the  Egyptian  Government,  and  lives  near  Amedeb),  in  order 
to  take  possession  of  the  country.  Had  that  been  our  inten- 
tion, he  frankly  informed  us  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to 
obtain  the  assistance  of  some  Abyssinians,  with  whom  he  said 
he  was  on  friendly  terms,  in  order  to  repel  us.  It  was  not 
until  he  had  almost  arrived  in  our  camp,  — at  least,  so  he. said, — 
that  he  had  learned  who  we  really  were,  and  our  object  in  visit 
ing  that  part  of  the  country.  Previously  to  our  presenting  him 
with  these  things,  he  had  gone  through  the  regular  amdn  cere- 
mony, to  which  we  had  become  so  accustomed  of  late. 

The  only  sign  of  his  exalted  rank,  that  he  displayed  on  first 
coming  amongst  us,  consisted  of  a  singularly  dirty  and  vqry 
gaudy  red-cotton  handkerchief,  that  he  wore  twisted  round  his 
head,  and  a  kind  of  dressing-gown  of  the  same  material.  We 
questioned  him  about  the  Base  dwelling  on  the  Settite ;  and  he 
declared  that  he  had  nothing  to  do  with  them,  but  that  we 
'acould  go  among  them  if  we  wished  to  do  so.    He  did  not,  how- 
tever,  appear  to  know  any  thing  of  that  part  of  the  country,  and 
?jaiade  us  no  offer  of  guides ;  nor  did  he  make  any  suggestions 
s^s  to  how  we  were  to  get  there. 

The  day  after  the  "investiture,"  Sheik  Kudul  took  his  de- 
parture, comforting  us  at  the  same  time  with  the  promise  of 
the  pleasure  of  his  company  again  in  two  days'  time.  As  far 
as  his  appearance  went,  I  never  saw  any  one  with  a  more  vil- 
lanous  cast  of  countenance,  nor  one  I  should  be  more  loath  to 
trust. 

On  the  8th,  we  moved  to  Khor  Ma  Ambasah,  close  to  where 
Aylmer  and  I  had  shot  the  buffaloes ;  and  a  prettier  camp  we 
never  selected.  Our  tents  were  pitched  some  three  or  four 
miles  from  its  junction  with  the  Mareb,  and  above  its  sandy 
bed,  in  a  place  where  numbers  of  lofty  trees  afforded  us  plenty 
of  shelter  from  the  sun,  and  where  a  kind  of  natural  arbours 


CAMP  AT  MA  AM B  AS  AH. 


were  formed  by  the  bushes,  in  one  of  which  we  placed  our 
table.  The  trees  and  bushes  were  of  many  different  kinds,  and 
in  full  leaf,  and  so  thick  that  no  part  of  the  camp  was  exposed 
to  the  sun  for  very  long  at  a  time.  As  I  have  already  men- 
tioned, this  camj3  was  destined  to  be  our  farthest  in  that  direc- 
tion ;  this,  and  the  place  we  had  last  left,  showed  more  signs  erf 
game  than  we  had  found  anywhere  else,  nor  did  we  subsequent- 
ly find  any  part  of  the  country  in  which  the  chances  of  good 
sport  promised  so  well.  It  was  most  unfortunate  that  circum- 
stances soon  made  it  advisable  for  us  to  retrace  our  steps  ;  other- 
wise, if  we  had  been  able  to  remain  longer  on  Khor  Ma  Amba- 
sah,  and  could  have  penetrated  rather  farther  into  the  country, 
we  should  doubtless  have  obtained  a  far  better  bag  than  we  did. 
As  it  was,  we  spent  three  clear  days  there. 

On  one  of  these  days  we  secured  two  fine  bull  buffaloes,  one 
of  them  shot  by  Lort  Phillips  and  my  brother  William,  who 
were  out  together,  and  the  other  one  had  been  wounded  either 
by  Aylmer  or  myself,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  6th,  when  we 
each  bagged  a  cow.  Arthur  and  I  were  out  together,  and  had 
not  gone  far  from  camp  in  the  direction  of  the  Mareb,  when  we 
heard  a  low  moan  in  the  tall  grass  that  bordered  the  kJior. 
We  could  not  tell  whether  it  proceeded  from  a  buffalo  or  a 
rhinoceros,  and  were  unable  to  get  into  the  high  grass  to  deter- 
mine. We  first  climbed  up  the  bank  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  kJior  to  that  from  which  we  heard  the  noise,  and  threw 
clods  of  earth  and  stones,  in  order  to  try  and  drive  the  animal, 
whatever  it  was,  out ;  but  all  to  no  purpose.  After  a  time  we 
crossed  the  khor,  and  made  our  way  to  the  other  side  of  the 
border  of  grass,  which  at  that  place  was  narrow.  As  nothing 
would  dislodge  the  animal,  we  felt  sure  it  must  be  a  wounded 
buffalo  ;  and,  with  our  rifles  at  full  cock,  we  managed  to  push 
ourselves  a  little  way  in,  but  not  until  we  had  again  thrown 


114  Z^^-r  BUFFALOES  ON  THE  MAREB, 

stones  to  see  if  we  could  drive  the  brute  out.  A  native  who 
was  with  us  declared  he  could  see  the  animal's  head,  which  he 
pointed  out  to  my  brother.  He  fired  :  result,  a  movement,  and 
another  groan.  It  proved  to  be  a  huge  bull  that  had  been  bad- 
ly wounded  four  days  previously,  and  had  retreated  to  the  high 
grass,  where  he  was  lying  in  a  sort  of  hole.  He  had  only  one 
horn,  the  other  having  been  either  worn  off,  or  possibly  lost  in 
fighting ;  oddly  enough,  too,  he  was  possessed  of  only  one  eye. 
These  were  the  last  buffaloes  we  shot  on  either  the  Mareb  or 
Ma  Ambasah,  although  we  saw  a  good  many,  and  fired  one  or 
two  unsuccessful  shots  at  them.  Rhinoceros  marks  were  get- 
ting quite  common.  These  animals  appeared  to  keep  to  thick 
covert  during  the  day,  and  at  night  to  go  down  to  the  kJior  to 
drink.  Unfortunately  there  was  no  moon  at  the  time,  so  that  it 
was  useless  to  watch  for  them  at  any  of  these  drinking-places. 
Beside  the  grass  there  were  numbers  of  ncbbtik-hw^\i^^  grow- 
ing so  thickly  that  it  was  often  impossible  to  penetrate  them. 
I  have  no  doubt  we  often  passed  close  by  rhinoceri  without  being 
aware  of  their  proximity. 

One  day  two  of  our  party  went  several  miles  farther  up  the 
Mareb,  in  the  direction  of  Abyssinia,  where  they  ascended  a 
hill,  from  whence  they  obtained  a  good  bird's-eye  view  of  the 
country  for  some  miles  round.  They  reported  that  the  moun- 
tains came  down  to  the  river's  bed,  which  was  fringed  with 
dhoum-'^2\m^^  but  that  the  high  grass  decreased  very  much  in 
quantity  farther  up  the  Mareb.  They  saw  very  little  game,  but 
came  across  a  great  many  Base. 

The  natives  told  us  that  the  Basd  villages  extended  about  a 
day's  or  a  day  and  a  half's  journey  in  that  direction,  from  the 
junction  of  the  two  kJwrs,  and  then  came  Abyssinia.  Prob- 
ably their  villages  ceased  about  ten  or  fifteen  miles  off,  and 
between  these  villages  and  Abyssinia  lay  a  neutral  piece  of 


PROVISIONS  RUN  SHORT. 


"5 


ground,  upon  which  neither  Base  nor  Abyssinian  dare  live  for 
fear  of  each  other. 

As  we  were  running  short  of  dJmri'a,  and  found  that,  contrary 
to  what  we  had  been  led  to  expect  when  leaving  Haikota,  it  was 
a  very  scarce  commodity  in  the  Base  country,  it  became  a  very 
important  question  to  decide  what  was  to  be  done  in  order  to 
replenish  our  supply.  Our  native  servants  depended  greatly 
upon  it  for  food  ;  and  it  was,  moreover,  an  absolute  essential 
for  our  horses.  After  some  difficulty,  and  on  promising  a  hand- 
some baksheesh,  we  found  some  of  the  more  intrepid  among 
our  camel-drivers  willing  to  go  with  their  camels  to  the  Egyp- 
tian frontier  town  of  Amedeb  to  purchase  some.  Besides  dJiiir- 
ra,  we  told  them  to  bring  back  some  cotton  cloth  to  distribute 
among  the  Base.  There  was  nothing  we  found  they  prized  so 
much ;  for,  as  they  were  at  constant  loggerheads  with  the 
Egyptians,  it  was  almost  impossible  for  them  to  procure  it. 
They  started  on  their  journey  on  the  afternoon  of  Feb.  lo. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


Disastrous  Adventure  with  Abyssinians.  —  Akabah  brings  the  Alarm.  — Two  of  our 
Party  surprised  by  a  Hundred  armed  Abyssinians.  —  Making  Friends.  —  Treach- 
ery of  the  Abyssinians.  —  Mahomet  fearfully  wounded.  —  The  Search  for  him.  — 
The  Dembelas  Tribe.  —  Contemplated  Expedition  against  the  Dembelas  aban- 
doned. 

On  the  nth  a  most  disastrous  event  occurred,  and  one  which 
materially  affected  the  remaining  portion  of  our  expedition. 
We  had  so  far  got  on  very  well,  and  had  had  no  serious  draw- 
backs to  the  success  of  our  journey,  with  the  exception  of  poor 
Jules'  death  at  Cassala.  We  had  found  our  camp  at  Ma  Am- 
basah  the  most  picturesque  and  agreeable  that  we  had  yet 
formed ;  and  it  promised  to  be  most  successful  headquarters, 
from  which  to  start  in  pursuit  of  game.  No  Europeans  had 
been  there  before  us.  The  Base  were  entirely  unarmed,  with 
the  exception  of  their  spears  and  shields  ;  and  it  was  sufficiently 
far  from  the  headquarters  of  the  Beni-Amer  tribe  on  the  west, 
and  the  Abyssinians  on  the  east,  to  have  allowed  the  game  to 
remain  almost  undisturbed. 

Although  it  was  only  a  small  tract  of  country  that  enjoyed 
these  advantages  to  the  sportsman,  they  were  advantages  fully 
appreciated  by  us,  who  knew  from  the  experience  of  two  former 
winters  the  great  difficulty  of  finding,  in  this  part  of  Africa, 
territory  containing  an  abundance  of  game,  — of  the  larger  game, 
I  mean,  antelopes  being  numerous  in  many  other  parts.  A  few 
years  ago  elephants  and  rhinoceri  were  plentiful  in  places  that 

ii6 


TRACKS  OF  RHINOCERI. 


117 


the  former  now  visit  only  at  rare  and  uncertain  intervals, 
and  where  the  presence  of  the  latter  is  a  thing  entirely  of 
the  past.  At  Ma  Ambasah  there  were  plentiful  marks  of  rhi- 
noceri,  and  elephants  not  infrequently  visited  the  neighbour- 
hood. 

It  was  our  custom  to  draw  for  pairs  to  go  out  shooting,  and 
we  had  done  so,  as  usual,  on  this  occasion.  Lort  Phillips  and 
Aylmer  had  drawn  together.  I  was  to  go  with  Colvin  ;  and 
my  brothers  decided  on  remaining  in  camp  for  the  purpose  of 
making  observations,  and  taking  photographs.  We  also  drew 
for  trackers  ;  Colvin  and  I  got  Salee,  while  the  others  took 
Mahomet,  an  excellent  man  whom  we  had  engaged  at  Cassala. 

We  started  up  the  dry  river's  bed,  and  saw  numerous  tracks 
of  rhinoceri.  One  or  two  of  these  animals  had  evidently  been 
drinking,  during  the  night,  at  some  pools  of  water  we  came 
across ;  during  the  daytime  they  usually  retire  to  the  thick 
grass  and  almost  impenetrable  jungle  that  grows  so  thickly  in 
this  part  of  the  country,  and  where  they  are  almost  un-get-at- 
able.  On  the  Settite  there  is  none  of  this  grass  ;  and,  although 
it  is  much  affected  by  the  larger  animals,  their  pursuit  is  ren- 
dered much  more  difficult  where  it  abounds.  One  feels  con- 
stantly sure  of  the  presence  of  big  game,  when  it  is  impossible 
to  see  it. 

A  number  of  Base  had  accompanied  us,  eager  for  meat ;  and 
we  found  it  very  difficult  to  keep  them  back.  We  had  been 
on  the  fresh  tracks  of  a  large  bull  buffalo  for  some  time,  but, 
owing  to  the  chattering  of  these  fellows,  we  could  not  get  near 
it,  and  at  last,  in  despair,  sat  down,  and  refused  to  proceed  far- 
ther till  all  but  three  or  four  had  set  their  faces  in  the  direction 
of  the  camp ;  and  we  insisted  that  those  we  allowed  with  us 
should  keep  a  long  way  in  our  rear,  which  with  great  difficulty 
we  persuaded  them  to  do. 


ii8 


ATTACKED  BY  ABYSSINIANS. 


I  had  caught  a  ghmi^se  of  a  buffalo  on  the  bank  to  our 
right,  which  had  seen  us  and  made  off ;  and  we  had  been  fol- 
lowing him  for  some  time,  when  suddenly  there  appeared,  run- 
ning towards  us,  a' Base  named  Akabah  (in  their  language,  "  the 
buffalo"),  who  we  knew  had  that  morning  accompanied  the 
other  party.  His  face  was  torn,  and  his  legs  bleeding,  from 
the  thorns  he  had  encountered  in  his  flight.  He  called  out  to 
us,  ''El  Makadah,  el  Makadah  ("The  Abyssinians  !  "),  and 
made  for  the  direction  of  the  camp.  Presently  five  or  six  more 
appeared ;  but  we  did  not  think  anything  of  it,  well  knowing 
what  cowards  the  much-feared  Base  really  are,  and  feeling 
sure  that  it  was  only  necessary  for  them  to  see,  or  imagine 
they  saw,  some  Abyssinian,  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  for  them  to 
bolt  at  once,  without  waiting  to  see  whether  their  intentions 
were  hostile  or  not.  At  this  time  no  one  was  with  us  except 
Salee,  as  we  had  left  the  rest  of  the  natives  in  the  river's  bed 
with  our  horses,  and  a  camel  we  had  taken  with  us  to  carry 
meat,  should  we  shoot  anything. 

We  continued  tracking  the  buffalo,  but  at  last  gave  it  up,  as 
we  could  see  by  its  marks  on  the  ground  that  it  had  several 
times  been  frightened,  doubtless  by  the  flying  Base,  and  gone 
off  at  a  gallop.  Accordingly  we  made  for  a  shady  spot,  and 
discussed  our  luncheon,  and,  that  ceremony  over,  crossed  the 
bed  of  the  river,  and  looked  for  fresh  tracks  on  the  other  side. 
We  had  not  proceeded  far  when  we  espied  Mahomet  Salee 
and  Bayrumphy  galloping  along  on  the  opposite  side  ;  so  we 
crossed  over  to  them  to  see  what  was  the  matter.  As  soon  as 
they  perceived  us  approaching,  they  shouted  to  us,  in  a  tremen- 
dous state  of  excitement,  to  return  to  the  camp  immediately, 
as  the  Makadah  had  attacked  the  other  party.  On  joining 
them,  we  learned  that  Aylmer  and  Lort  Phillips  had  been  sur- 
prised by  a  large  party  of  Abyssinians,  who  had  taken  their 


EXCITEMENT  IN  CAMP, 


119 


rifles  and  a  horse ;  and,  worse  than  all,  that  Mahomet  had  been 
speared,  and  was  left  behind  dangerously  wounded. 

We  made  all  haste  to  the  camp,  where  we  found  every  one 
in  a  high  state  of  excitement,  and  dreadfully  anxious  about  us, 
as  they  knew  we  had  gone  in  much  the  same  direction  that  the 
others  had  taken  when  they  were  attacked.  They  were  en- 
gaged in  strengthening  the  zariba,  and  had  fired  the  grass  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river's  bed,  opposite  the  camp ;  as,  in  case 
of  an  attack,  it  would  have  been  a  grand  shelter  for  our  assail- 
ants. They  had,  moreover,  dealt  out  all  spare  guns  and  rifles 
to  those  of  our  servants  whom  they  imagined  most  competent 
to  use  them.  I  fancy,  however,  that,  if  any  thing  had  hap- 
pened, they  would  most  of  them  have  been  just  as  likely, 
perhaps  even  more  so,  to  shoot  some  of  us  or  themselves,  as 
to  do  any  damage  to  the  hostile  natives. 

We  were,  of  course,  most  eager  to  hear  full  particulars  of 
what  had  occurred,  and  were  not  long  in  hearing  the  whole 
story.  Lort  Phillips  and  Aylmer  had  proceeded  some  eight  or 
nine  miles  up  the  dry  bed  of  Khor  Ma  Ambasah,  and  were 
making  for  a  mountain  called  Gala,  which  rose  on  the  west 
bank  of  the  kJior,  and  at  the  foot  of  which  there  were  said 
to  be  some  pools  of  water  at  which  rhinoceri,  buffaloes,  and 
other  animals  were  in  the  habit  of  drinking.  They  had  nearly 
reached  Gala,  and  were  riding  in  the  sandy  bed  of  the  kJior, 
keeping  a  sharp  look-out  for  game,  and  feeling  pretty  sure  that 
they  would  come  across  some  either  going  to  drink,  or  return- 
ing from  the  water ;  when,  on  turning  a  bend,  they  saw  first 
one  and  then  another  man  run  across,  while  a  third,  in  a  baobab- 
tree,  was  gathering  fruit. 

The  Base  who  were  with  them,  without  looking  farther,  im- 
mediately turned  tail,  and  fled.  They  had  evinced  no  fear  when 
starting  from  camp,  and  had  said  nothing  about  the  Abyssinians  ; 


I20 


FRIENDLY  APPROACHES. 


so  that  Lort  Phillips  and  Aylmer  were  at  first  at  a  loss  to  ac- 
count for  their  sudden  consternation.  These  were  the  Base 
that  Colvin  and  I  had  encountered  flying  in  the  direction  of 
the  camp.  After  going  a  few  steps  farther,  they  saw  about 
a  hundred  men  armed  with  spears,  as  all  are  in  these  countries, 
sitting  under  an  overhanging  rock,  beside  a  well  they  had  dug 
in  the  sand.  On  seeing  Lort  Phillips  and  Aylmer,  they  ran 
towards  them.  Achmet,  our  head  horse-boy,  whom  we  had  en- 
gaged at  Souakim,  shouted,  E droop,  edroop  !  "  Fire,  fire  !  ") ; 
and  it  is  a  pity  they  did  not  act  upon  his  advice,  as  there  is 
little  doubt  that  the  enemy  would  have  fled  immediately  if  they 
had  only  fired  a  shot  or  two  over  their  heads  ;  it  would  have 
been  quite  enough  to  scare  them  away,  without  the  necessity  of 
firing  at  them.  Mahomet,  however,  who  had  been  in  the 
country  before  (Achmet  had  not),  and  whose  opinion  might 
consequently  be  considered  to  have  more  weight  than 
Achmet's,  begged  them  not  to  do  so,  and  urged  them  to 
make  amdn,  or  friends. 

We  had  of  late  frequently  heard  the  word  aindn  applied 
to  ridiculous  ceremonies  performed  by  the  sheiks  of  various 
Base  villages  through  which  wc  had  passed,  and  which  were 
supposed  to  have  the  effect  of  making  us  friends  forever  with 
those  with  whom  they  had  taken  place  ;  and  Sheik  Kudul  had 
informed  us  that  he  was  friends  with  the  Abyssinians  ;  so  that 
Aylmer  and  Lort  Phillips  imagined  they  would  only  have  to 
go  through  the  same  performance  again,  to  make  them  sworn 
alUes. 

Accordingly,  acting  on  Mahomet's  advice,  they  dismounted 
when  the  Abyssinians  got  up  to  them  ;  Mahomet  and  Achmet 
then  placed  the  spare  rifles  they  were  carrying  on  the  ground, 
and  motioned  Lort  Phillips  and  Aylmer  to  do  the  same,  in  order 
to  show  that  they  were  peaceably  inclined.    The  Abyssinians 


TREACHEROUS  ATTACK. 


121 


(who  afterwards  proved  to  be  of  the  Dcmbelas  tribe,  a  semi- 
independent  people,  living  on  the  north-western  frontier  of 
Abyssinia,  and  whom  I  shall  hereafter  distinguish  as  Dembelas) 
commenced  by  kissing  their  hands,  and  making  every  demon- 
stration of  friendship.  Suddenly,  however,  they  fell  helter-skel 
ter,  one  on  top  of  the  other,  upon  the  rifles.  Mahomet, 
Achmet,  and  the  other  three  or  four  natives  who  were  with 
them,  on  perceiving  the  tables  thus  unexpectedly  turned, 
thought  it  was  a  case  of  saitve  qtd pent,  and  made  off  as  fast  as 
their  legs  would  carry  them.  The  Dembelas  fought  with  each 
other  for  the  possession  of  the  much-prized  rifles  ;  and  one  or 
two  made  a  rush  for  Lort  Phillips's  horse,  which  Eu-Noor,  who 
usually  looked  after  it,  w^as  holding.  They  stripped  Eu-Noor, 
moreover,  of  Lort  Phillips's  revolver,  wdiich  he  had  unfortu- 
nately given  him  to  carry  early  in  the  day,  and  which  was  fas- 
tened to  a  strap  he  wore  round  his  waist. 

Aylmer  had  his  revolver  in  his  hand,  and  drew  it,  intending 
to  shoot  a  man  who  was  trying  to  obtain  possession  of  his 
horse  ;  but,  for  some  reason  or  other,  it  would  not  go  off,  —  a 
fortunate  circumstance  for  him,  I  should  think  ;  as,  at  the  time 
he  tried  to  use  it,  the  Dembelas  had,  ten  to  one,  the  best  of  it. 
They  managed,  however,  before  the  natives  made  off  with  the 
booty,  to  recover  Lort  Phillips's  ten-bore  rifle  and  Aylmer's 
horse,  which  they^ere  also  making  off  with.  Hardly  had  they 
done  so,  when  Lort  Phillips  gave  a  view^-halloo.  This  (to  them) 
unearthly  noise  had  a  magical  effect ;  they  took  to  their  heels 
up  the  hills  that  bordered  the  khor,  as  fast  as  they  could  go ; 
while  Aylmer  and  Lort  Phillips  made  the  best  of  their  way 
towards  camp,  with  the  ten-bore  rifle  and  one  horse,  having 
lost  a  .500  and  a  .450  express  rifle,  an  eight-bore,  a  revolver, 
and  a  horse. 

After  going  some  distance  on  their  return  to  camp,  they  en- 


122 


MAHOMET  WOUNDED. 


countered  the  native  servants  who  had  run  away  ;  and  from 
them  they  learned,  to  their  horror,  that  Mahomet  had  been 
fearfully  wounded  in  the  stomach  by  a  spear,  and  had  been  left 
behind.  As  far  as  we  could  gather,  after  having  started  to  run 
away,  he  looked  back,  and,  observing  their  struggle  to  regain 
possession  of  their  rifles,  turned  round  to  render  them  assist- 
ance, and  was  speared.  The  boy  in  charge  of  the  camel  took 
his  hand,  and  helped  him  for  a  short  distance  ;  but  Mahomet, 
feeling  he  was  hard  hit,  told  him  he  was  dying,  and  could  go  no 
farther,  and  urged  him  to  look  to  his  own  safety. 

One  of  the  Dembelas  threw  a  spear  at  him ;  which,  happily, 
missed  him,  but  killed  the  camel.  They  stripped  the  animal  of 
the  saddle-bags,  containing  luncheon  and  about  thirty  or  forty 
cartridges.  These  cartridges,  however,  would  not  have  been 
much  to  divide  between  three  rifles  of  different  calibres.  One 
of  the  horsemen  with  them,  whom  we  had  brought  from  Hai- 
kota,  they  robbed  of  his  horse,  and,  having  soundly  thrashed 
him  with  the  back  of  his  own  sword,  took  it  away.  He  was 
an  old  man,  and  greatly  distressed  at  the  indignity  that  had 
been  offered  him  ;  and  he  quite  thought  we  should  consider 
the  loss  of  his  sword  as  the  most  important  of  the  whole 
affray. 

As  soon  as  Colvin  and  I  arrived  in  camp,  we  all  resolved  to 
lose  no  time  in  going  out  to  search  for  poor  Mahomet,  or  his 
body  in  case  he  were  dead,  —  a  contingency  that  seemed  only 
too  probable,  judging  from  the  fearful  description  we  had  from 
the  camel-boy  of  the  manner  in  which  he  was  wounded.  We 
decided  that  this  boy  should  be  of  the  party,  as  we  trusted  to 
him  to  show  us  where  he  had  left  Mahomet.  As  it  was  impos- 
sible to  leave  our  two  European  servants  (who  were  in  a  state 
of  great  terror),  or  the  camp,  alone,  we  drew  lots  for  four,  with 
the  doctor,  to  go  in  search  of  IMahomet,  and  for  the  other  two 


VULTURES  AS  SEXTONS? 


123 


to  remain  in  camp.  Colvin  and  my  brother  William  were  the 
two  who  remained  behind.  It  was  four  o'clock  before  we  start- 
ed, and  we  did  not  get  back  till  after  nine.  Although  we  made 
all  possible  haste,  it  was  almost  dusk  before  we  arrived  at  the 
spot  where  the  boy  stated  he  had  last  seen  him.  We  searched 
everywhere,  until  darkness  compelled  us  to  desist.  But  we 
could  find  no  trace  of  him,  and  all  we  saw  were  some  thirty  or 
forty  huge  vultures,  sitting  together  on  the  palm-trees  ;  and  the 
sickenins:  fear  came  over  us,  that  he  was  dead,  and  that  these 
birds,  which  in  Africa  so  often  act  as  sextons,  had  already 
devoured  his  remains.  This  seemed  but  too  probable  ;  for,  in 
these  parts  of  Africa,  it  is  usually  only  a  matter  of  a  few  min- 
utes, or  even  seconds,  for  these  birds  to  collect,  after  one  has 
shot  an  antelope  or  any  other  kind  of  game. 

I  remember,  the  first  time  I  travelled  in  the  Soudan,  shoot- 
ing two  ariel,  which  fell  not  over  a  hundred,  or  a  hundred  and 
fifty,  yards  apart ;  and  yet  although,  when  I  shot  them,  I  could 
see  no  vultures  about,  by  the  time  I  had  secured  the  head  of 
one,  and  had  come  up  to  the  other,  its  head  was  already  de- 
stroyed by  the  vultures,  which  had  commenced  to  devour  it. 
When  we  shot  more  than  one  animal  at  a  time,  we  always  sent 
some  one  to  keep  the  vultures  off  one,  while  the  men  were  en- 
gaged in  cutting  up  the  other. 

On  our  return  to  camp  there  was  a  great  discussion  among 
our  men,  as  to  whether  the  people  who  had  plundered  us  were 
Tigre  Abyssinians  or  Dembelas.  We  ourselves  felt  almost  sure 
at  the  time,  from  the  direction  in  which  they  came,  that  they 
were  Dembelas  ;  and  we  afterwards  established  the  fact.  I  do 
not  think  that  the  attack  was  premeditated.  In  all  this  part  of 
Africa,  there  is  a  considerable  tract  of  country  which  divides 
each  tribe,  and  which  it  is  difficult  to  assign  to  either,  both 
of  them  being  afraid  to  inhabit  it. 


124 


A  "  TERRA  incognita:' 


At  our  camp  on  Khor  Ma  Ambasah,  we  were,  so  to  speak, 
wedged  in  between  three  tribes, — the  Base,  the  Tigre  Abys^ 
sinians,  and  the  Dembelas  ;  and  none  of  these  would  go  there 
unless  in  considerable  numbers.  The  people  we  had  encoun- 
tered had  some  boys  and  three  or  four  women  with  them,  as 
well  as  goats  and  three  mules  ;  and  it  is  not  likely  they  would 
have  taken  such  hnpedijneiita  with  them,  had  they  started  with 
hostile  intent.  They  travelled  a  strong  party,  to  be  prepared 
for  hostilities  with  their  enemies  the  Base  ;  and  their  object  in 
going  where  they  did  was  probably  to  search  for  honey,  which 
is  plentiful  in  the  baobab-trees,  and  for  the  fruit  of  the  baobab- 
tree  itself  ;  and  they  were,  moreover,  most  likely  furnished  with 
traps  to  catch  antelopes.  The  country,  being  uninhabited,  would 
be  favourable  for  their  purpose.  Seeing  white  men,  they 
doubtless  took  them  for  Turks,  and  thought  they  could  not 
do  better  than  try  to  possess  themselves  of  their  rifles.  They 
are  the  most  lawless  and  uncivilised  of  all  the  Abyssinian 
tribes,  —  only  nominally  paying  taxes  and  owing  allegiance  to 
King  John.  Their  country  is  almost  terra  incognita :  the  only 
European  that  I  could  ever  hear  of  as  having  travelled  there  at 
all  being  the  Italian  traveller,  the  Marquis  Antinori ;  and  he 
had  explored  only  a  small  portion  of  it. 

The  previous  winter  we  had  been  on  the  northern  boundary 
of  their  country,  and  had  gone  into  the  neutral  territory ;  but 
not  so  far  as  their  villages,  because  we  could  never  find  any  one 
of  the  neighbouring  Arabs  sufficiently  intrepid  to  accompany 
us.  On  our  return  to  England,  however,  we  learned  from  Capt. 
Gascoigne  of  the  Blues,"  that  he  had  penetrated  to  several  of 
their  villages,  with  one  of  their  own  people  whom  he  had  got  hold 
of  in  some  way  or  another.  Although  at  first  they  wanted  to 
keep  him  prisoner,  his  guide  persuaded  them  to  let  him  return. 
He  found  the  villages  much  neater  than  those  of  the  Arabs,  and 


THE  DEMBELAS. 


125 


that  they  grew  a  great  deal  of  millet  and  dhiirra.  The  country 
was  very  mountainous,  and  unsuitable  for  camels,  of  which  they 
had  none ;  and  he  saw  very  little  game.  The  Dembelas  Lort 
Phillips  and  Aylmer  saw  were  quite  light-coloured,  and  better 
clothed  than  most  of  the  nomad  Arabs,  and,  of  course,  far 
more  so  than  the  Base,  who  are  literally  nearly  naked.  They 
had  bare,  shaved  heads  ;  and  one  man  carried  a  gun,  and  actu- 
ally wore  a  felt  wide-awake  hat,  with  the  brim  turned  down 
like  an  Irishman's.  It  would  be  curious  to  know  where  he  got 
it,  —  possibly  from  the  Marquis  Antinori !  They  wore  no 
sandals  ;  and  this,  some  of  our  men  declared,  was  a  proof  that 
they  were  Tigre  Abyssinians,  as  they  said  they  never  wore 
them,  and  that  the  Dembelas  did. 

Some  of  our  men  also  asserted,  that  while  amdn''  with  the 
Base  and  Arabs  meant  making  friends,  or  peace,  these  peo- 
ple understood  the  word  to  signify  unconditional  surrender : 
''take  all  we  have,  only  spare  our  lives."  Those  of  our  men 
who  pretended  to  know  any  thing  of  the  language  of  the 
Dembelas  made  this  statement,  and  said  that  it  was  unfortu- 
nate that  none  of  the  men  with  Aylmer  and  Lort  Phillips  could 
speak  the  language.  It  is  next  to  impossible  to  get  at  the 
truth  in  matters  of  this  kind.  It  is  very  certain  that  none  of 
the  men  with  them  knew  any  thing  of  the  "lingo,"  but  I 
doubt  whether  any  one  in-  the  camp  did. 

Our  first  impulse  was  to  start  off  after  these  people,  and  we 
offered  Sheik  Kudul  money  for  men  to  go  with  us  ;  but  he 
would  not  give  us  any,  and,  on  second  thoughts,  we  decided 
that  it  was  impossible  to  follow  them  into  their  mountains.  At 
the  least,  it  would  have  meant  abandoning  the  baggage  to  the 
Base,  who  would,  of  course,  have  walked  off  with  every  thing 
left  behind.  This  sheik  stuck  to  it,  that  these  people  were 
Tigre  Abyssinians  ;  and,  as  he  had  previously  declared  they 


126 


SUSPICIOUS  APPEARANCES. 


were  his  friends,  we  began  to  wonder  whether  he  meant  treach- 
ery by  us  himself.  Moreover,  it  looked  rather  suspicious,  that, 
after  having  paid  us  a  visit,  he  had  left  foi  two  days  "on  busi- 
ness," and  had  returned  only  that  very  day. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


We  leave  Ma  Ambasah.  —  Arrival  of  Mahomet.  —  Doubts  of  the  Base.  —  A  Pic- 
turesque Scene.  —  Sport,  or  Exploration?  —  The  Medicine-Chest. — Death  of 
Mahomet.  —  Two  of  the  Party  start  for  Amedeb.  —  Difficulty  of  keeping  Camels. 

—  The  "  Guffer  "  Disease.  —  Dilatoriness  of  the  Arabs.  —  Poverty  of  the  Base. 

—  The  Barea  Tribe. 

All  our  servants  and  camel-drivers  declared  they  would  not 
remain  any  longer  on  Khor  Ma  Ambasah  ;  and  we  ourselves 
found  it  impossible  to  do  so,  although  we  greatly  regretted 
turning  our  backs  on  what  looked  like  an  excellent  locality  for 
sport.  Had  we  attempted  to  remain,  our  men  would  all,  or 
nearly  all,  have  deserted,  probably  taking  the  camels  with  them, 
and  we  should  have  had  no  means  of  transport.  Accordingly 
we  decided  on  leaving  the  next  morning. 

Very  early,  and  before  we  had  started  another  party  in  search 
of  poor  Mahomet,  we  heard  a  cry  that  he  was  coming  into 
camp ;  and  running  outside  the  zariba,  down  to  the  khor^  we 
saw  the  poor  fellow.  A  more  dreadful  or  pitiable  spectacle  I 
never  beheld.  A  fine,  healthy-looking  fellow  when  he  left  the 
camp  the  morning  before,  he  was  but  the  wreck  of  his  former 
self.  When  I  first  saw  him,  he  was  crouching  on  his  haunches, 
in  the  manner  of  these  people  when  they  wish  to  rest ;  and  his 
face  had  become  quite  drawn  and  thin.  He  had  taken  his  sole 
garment,  —  some  yards  of  cotton  cloth,  which  he  wore  ordi- 
narily round  his  loins  and  across  his  shoulders,  —  to  support  his 
entrails,  which  he  further  did  with  his  arms.    He  had  been 

127 


128 


2HE  WOUNDED  MAHOMET  IN  CAMP. 


wounded  by  a  spear  in  four  places,  — in  two  places  in  the  back, 
one  in  the  arm,  and  this  fearful  wound  in  the  abdomen.  In 
this  state  he  had  crawled  eight  miles,  from  where  the  attack 
took  place,  to  our  camp.  His  first  words  were  to  ask  if  Lort 
Phillips  and  Aylmer  were  safe.  He  told  us  that  we  had 
passed  within  a  few  yards  of  him  the  previous  night ;  and  that, 
although  he  plainly  saw  us,  he  was  too  weak  to  call  out  for 
help ;  he  had  been  lying  under  a  bush  at  the  time,  quite  close 
to  the  camp,  unable  to  proceed  farther.  The  night  had  been 
very  cold,  the  thermometer  having  gone  down  to  43^  Fahren- 
heit ;  and  his  suffering  from  cold  and  thirst,  added  to  the  fear 
of  being  attacked  by  some  wild  beast  (hyaenas  especially  being 
very  numerous  there),  must  have  been  something  terrible. 

We  got  an  angareb,  and  carried  him  into  camp.  The  doctor 
did  what  he  could  for  him,  but  from  the  first  the  case  was  hope- 
less. We  wanted  to  give  him  a  little  brandy,  which  he  refused 
to  take,  it  being  against  his  religion.  However,  we  put  some  in 
his  beef-tea,  so  that  he  took  it  without  knowing  it.  The  doctor 
declared  it  would  make  him  no  worse  to  carry  him  on  the 
aitgareb ;  -so  we  gave  orders  to  strike  the  camp,  and  return  to 
our  last  halting-place,  with  which  order  our  camel-drivers  and 
servants  were  delighted. 

The  only  member  of  our  party  who  did  not  seem  in  the  least 
excited  by  what  had  occurred  was  old  Ali  the  cook.  Nothing 
ever  ruflfled  ///;;/.  He  was  busy  with  his  saucepans  when  the 
news  of  what  had  happened  was  first  brought  into  the  camp ; 
and,  amongst  all  the  din  and  clatter  raised  by  our  numerous 
camp-servants,  he  continued  calmly  and  quietly  to  proceed  with 
his  cooking. 

We  were  beginning  to  have  some  misgivings  with  regard 
to  the  Base.  Between  two  and  three  hundred  had  attached 
themselves  to  us.    We  felt  we  could  not  trust  much  to  Sheik 


DOUBTS  OF  THE  BAS^. 


129 


Kudul ;  and,  although  so  far  we  had  had  no  cause  of  complaint 
of  their  attitude  towards  us,  some  of  them  were  beginning  to 
show  signs  of  disaffection,  and  grumbling  that  they  had  no 
more  presents  made  to  them.  We  regretted  that  we  had  not 
brought  a  camel-load  or  two  of  Manchester  cloth  to  distribute 
amongst  them.  The  small  quantity  we  had  brought  was  much 
appreciated ;  and  we  parcelled  it  out  with  great  care,  the  larger 
portion  of  course  going  to  the  sheiks.  Our  stock  of  razors, 
knives,  and  scissors,  —  a  large  one  to  begin  with,  —  was  rapidly 
diminishing ;  and  as,  of  course,  we  could  get  no  more,  we  had 
to  be  very  chary  of  them.  Our  only  fear  of  the  Base  was,  best 
emboldened  by  the  success  of  the  Dembelas,  they  should 
endeavour  to  surprise  us  at  night.  In  order  to  guard  ourselves 
against  this  possibility,  we  were  very  careful  to  surround  our 
camp  with  an  extra-strong  zariba,  keeping,  moreover,  fires  burn- 
ing at  night  in  various  parts  of  the  camp,  and  having  regular 
sentries,  who  were  relieved  at  intervals. 

At  night  the  Base  slept  all  together,  immediately  outside  the 
za7'iba.  Their  innumerable  small  fires  flashed  upon  a  forest  of 
spears  thrust  in  the  sand  around  them,  occasionally  lighting  up 
their  dusky  forms  ;  while  in  the  centre  of  the  camp  our  watch- 
fire  illuminated  the  trees  above,  the  tents  around,  and  the  dark 
background  of  the  jungle,  with  its  tangled  creepers  festooning 
the  trees,  gracefully  draped  by  the  faultless  hand  of  nature,  — 
the  toitt  ensemble  creating  an  altogether  fairy  scene. 

There  is  no  doubt  about  it  that  exploration  and  sport  are  two 
very  different  things.  If  the  traveller's  object  is  the  former,  he 
pushes  through  the  country  as  best  he  can,  with  his  purpose 
—  exploration  —  always  in  view,  trusting  to  luck  and  tact  to 
overcome  the  many  inevitable  obstacles  that  will  beset  his  path. 
If,  however,  the  latter  is  his  main  object,  he  wants  to  feel 
pretty  free  to  move  where  he  likes  from  the  camp,  and  cannot 


NATIVE  FONDNESS  FOR  MEDICINE, 


expect  to  meet  with  much  success  with  the  game  if  he  is  con- 
stantly on  the  look-out  for  enemies  in  the  people  among  whom 
he  is  travelling.  He  wants,  when  he  chooses,  to  wander  out 
alone  some  distance  from  the  camp,  in  pursuit  of  the  object 
that  has  taken  him  to  the  country,  and,  when  away  from  his 
goods  and  chattels,  to  feel  that  both  they,  and  his  servants  and 
followers,  are  tolerably  safe  from  a  hostile  attack.  I  think, 
however,  that  an  Englishman,  provided  he  treats  the  natives 
well,  and  pays  proper  respect  to  their  prejudices,  can  go  almost 
anywhere.  He  must,  above  all,  pay  particular  deference  to  the 
chiefs,  and  let  them  see  that  he  regards  them  as  important 
personages,  as  in  their  own  country  they  undoubtedly  are  ;  at 
the  same  time,  letting  them  see  that  he  is  a  person  of  conse- 
quence himself,  and  expects  to  be  treated  accordingly. 

A  medicine-chest  is  often  of  more  use  to  the  traveller  than  a 
revolver,  for  nothing  gives  an  African  savage  greater  pleasure 
than  a  good  dose  of  medicine ;  but  it  must  be  a  strong  one,  and 
rapid  in  its  effects,  —  none  of  your  half  measures  with  them. 
A  good  dose  of  croton-oil  and  colicynth,  or  four  or  five  grains 
of  tartar  emetic,  is  what  they  like.  They  hold  the  European 
"medicine-man"  in  great  awe  and  respect.  But,  although 
delighting  in  being  physicked  internally,  they  are  almost  inva- 
riably unwilling  to  submit  to  the  knife.  During  our  first  jour- 
ney in  the  Soudan,  we  did  more  doctoring  than  on  either  of 
our  subsequent  expeditions.  At  some  places,  Cassala,  for 
instance,  there  were  days  when  as  many  as  two  hundred  people 
visited  the  doctor,  who  gave  away,  among  other  drugs,  great 
quantities  of  Holloway's  pills.  These  pills  we  found  immensely 
popular,  and  we  took  a  good  supply  with  us,  in  half-pound  boxes, 
on  each  of  our  expeditions  ;  and  I  should  never  travel  in  Africa 
without  a  good  supply. 

Mahomet  stood  the  journey  very  well,  and  seemed  better 


DEATH  OF  MAHOMET, 


when  we  arrived  at  our  last  camp.  The  doctor  had  given  him 
some  opium,  and  he  travelled  easily  on  the  angarcb.  We  had 
induced  some  Base  to  carry  him,  by  promising  them  some 
cotton  cloth,  when  the  camels  we  had  sent  to  Amedeb  for 
dJiurra  should  return ;  for  we  had  given  the  camel-drivers 
money  to  purchase  some  there. 

We  pitched  our  camp  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Mareb 
from  that  on  which  we  had  previously  halted  ;  partly  to  avoid 
being  near  some  high  grass  which  grew  at  the  back  of  our 
last  camp,  and  in  which  an  enemy  could  very  easily  have  lain 
hidden,  and  partly  because,  on  the  opposite  bank,  there  was 
more  material  at  hand  with  which  to  construct  a  zariba. 

We  made  Mahomet  as  comfortable  as  we  could,  by  giving 
him  the  doctor's.tent ;  and  Salee  remained  with  the  poor  fellow 
all  night.  Although  he  took  large  doses  of  opium,  he  hardly 
slept  at  all ;  he  did  not,  however,  complain  of  pain  until  the 
following  morning,  when  mercifully  his  sufferings  were  very 
short,  and  he  died  soon  after  nine  o'clock.  The  Arabs  buried 
him  on  the  same  morning,  in  a  grave  which  they  dug  at  some 
distance  above  the  Mareb.  We  gave  them  some  cotton  cloth 
for  grave-clothes  ;  and  Mahoom  stitched  them  together  with 
the  fibre  of  the  dhoni}i-'^2\m  leaf,  fresh  from  the  tree.  The 
Arabs  use  this  for  the  purpose  when  they  can  get  it,  in  prefer- 
ence to  thread,  which  I  suppose  they  regard  as  European,  and 
therefore  unsuitable.  The  doctor  considered  it  fortunate  that 
his  life  had  not  been  prolonged ;  because,  had  it  been  so,  he 
must  have  suffered  terrible  agonies,  which  he  was  mercifully 
spared. 

After  a  considerable  discussion  as  to  what  was  to  be  done 
next,  we  decided  that  Lort  Phillips  and  I  should  go  to  Amedeb, 
to  inform  the  Egyptian  authorities  of  what  had  happened ;  the 
rest  of  the  party  waiting  for  us  on  the  Mareb.    There  were 


132 


CAMELS  POOR  PROPERTY. 


two  objects  in  doing  this.  We  felt,  that,  even  in  that  wild 
country,  the  news  would  probably  travel  to  Amedeb,  and  we 
feared  that  a  greatly  exaggerated  account  might  reach  Cairo, 
and  very  possibly  get  into  the  English  newspapers,  and  alarm 
our  friends  at  home ;  and  we  were  anxious,  if  possible,  to 
recover  our  rifles,  and  thought,  that,  as  they  would  most  proba- 
bly get  into  the  hands  of  some  Abyssinian  sheik,  there  was  a 
chance  that  by  going  to  Amedeb  we  might  be  able  to  put 
ourselves  in  the  way  of  regaining  possession  of  them.  Accord- 
ingly, we  retraced  our  steps  to  Aibaro,  where  we  chose  a  good 
position  for  the  camp.  On  the  way,  we  found  very  little  game ; 
shooting  nothing  but  tetcl  and  oterop  {Calotragiis  niontanus)^  a 
very  small  species  of  gazelle,  which  is  very  easily  shot,  and  is 
very  fair  eating  ;  we  only  met  with  it  on  the  Mareb. 

On  Feb.  15  Lort  Phillips  and  I  started  for  Amedeb.  We 
decided  to  bring  back  more  camels  if  possible.  Camels  are 
very  awkward  things  to  own,  or  rather  to  have  properly  looked 
after.  Several  of  ours  had  died  since  leaving  Cassala,  and  a 
number  were  almost  incapable  of  carrying  loads.  The  fact 
is,  that  regular  camel-drivers  —  and  by  that  term  I  mean  the 
class  of  men  who  accompany  the  camels  one  hires  from  place 
to  place,  as,  for  example,  from  Souakim  to  Cassala  —  are  not 
to  be  had  by  paying  them  monthly  wages.  They  are  either 
owners  of  camels  themselves,  or  the  servants  or  slaves  of 
owners  ;  consequently,  if  one  buys  camels,  one  is  forced  to 
employ  men  to  load  and  look  after  them  who  are  quite  unac- 
customed to  the  work,  and,  moreover,  take  no  kind  of  interest 
in  it.  Camels  are  very  delicate ;  and,  if  accustomed  to  a  low, 
hot  country,  will  not  thrive  where  the  nights  are  cold,  and 
vice  versa  ;  and,  if  used  to  travel  in  a  level  sandy  country,  they 
cut  their  feet  dreadfully  when  obliged  to  traverse  rocky  or 
stony  roads.    A  camel,  too,  that  inhabits  a  district  where  grass 


THE  GUFFERr 


133 


is  plentiful,  will  not  thrive  where  it  is  scarce,  but  where  trees 
with  green  leaves  abound  ;  while  others,  on  the  contrary,  relish 
green  leaves,  and  will  not  look  at  grass.  They  are  very  stupid 
animals,  and  require  to  be  taken  to  suitable  feeding-ground,  as 
they  are  not  always  sensible  enough  to  find  it  for  themselves. 
It  sometimes  happened  that  there  was  grass  to  be  found  on 
one  side  of  the  river's  bed,  and  green  leaves  on  the  other ;  and 
our  camel-drivers,  unmindful  of  these  peculiarities,  would  sleep 
in  comfort,  leaving  these  stupid  animals  to  feed  off  whatever 
happened  to  come  first. 

On  some  parts  of  the  Mareb,  a  parasitu  plant,  which  the 
natives  call  hikabeet,  with  a  most  brilliant  green  leaf,  is  very 
common.  It  is  poisonous,  but  camels  will  devour  it  greedily 
whenever  they  get  a  chance.  We  lost  a  good  many  from  this 
cause ;  and  others,  though  they  recovered,  were  for  a  long 
time  unfit  for  work.  Careless  loading,  too,  caused  many  of 
the  camels  to  suffer  from  sore  backs ;  and  we  were  constantly 
at  loggerheads  with  our  drivers. 

There  is  a  disease,  very  common  amongst  them,  which  the 
natives  call  the  giiffer.  We  were  never  able  to  clearly  make 
out  what  this  disease  was.  Some  of  the  Arabs  declared  it 
was  catching ;  others,  that  it  was  not ;  but  all  said  that  a  num- 
ber of  the  camels  we  had  bought  on  the  Atbara  were  suffering 
from  it  when  they  were  bought.  Whenever  we  had  to  com- 
plain of  any  of  the  camel-drivers  having,  through  negligence, 
allowed  a  camel  to  run  down,  the  excuse  was,  that  it  was 
suffering  from  this  mysterious  disease,  the  guffer.  We  were 
once  asked  to  look  at  a  camel  said  to  be  suffering  from  this 
complaint.  It  was  certainly  in  miserably  poor  condition,  and, 
at  the  time,  appeared  to  have  a  fit  or  convulsion  of  some  kind. 
It  rolled  on  the  ground,  apparently  in  great  agony,  and  was 
only  induced  to  get  up  after  much  difficulty.     Somehow  or 


134  OUR  START  FOR  AMEDEB, 

other,  it  got  through  the  day's  march,  but  was  never  afterwards 
good  for  much.  Some  of  the  natives  said  this  disease  was 
caused  by  the  bite  of  the  tsetse-fly  during  the  rainy  season. 

We  were  told  that  one  long  day  would  bring  us  to  Amedeb ; 
but,  although  we  rose  at  five  o'clock,  it  was  nearly  nine  before 
we  were  fairly  off.  It  is  impossible  to  hurry  Arabs ;  and, 
whether  we  started  with  a  large  or  a  small  caravan,  getting  off 
was  always  a  very  slow  process.  We  took  with  us  Mahomet 
Salee,  and  Bayrumphy,  who  rode  on  horseback ;  one  did  not 
like  to  go  \vithout  the  other,  and,  moreover,  Bayrumphy  was 
our  interpreter  with  the  Base.  He  knew  very  little  Arabic, 
and  had  first  to  translate  Base  into  the  language  spoken  by 
the  Beni-Amer  tribe,  to  Mahomet  Salee,  who  re-translated 
to  us  into  Arabic  ;  in  this  way,  when  any  of  the  Base  wished 
to  communicate  with  us,  their  original  sentences  were  sadly 
mangled  and  distorted  before  we  could  understand  them, 
Suleiman  rode  on  top  of  the  camel  that  usually  carried  our 
luncheon  when  on  the  march ;  and  all  necessary  provisions, 
saucepans,  etc.,  for  the  journey,  were  stowed  away  in  the 
panniers  on  which  he  was  seated.  We  took  two  camels,  com- 
pletely laden  with  heads  and  skins  to  be  left  at  Amedeb ;  as  we 
all  expected  to  pass  by  there  on  our  way  to  the  coast,  when 
we  could  pick  them  up  again. 

We  carried  the  European  servants'  tent  to  sleep  in.  At 
first  we  thought  of  going  without  one,  and  sleeping  in  the 
open  air ;  but  were  afterwards  very  glad  we  had  not  done  so, 
as  the  nights  were  intensely  cold,  with  fogs  in  the  early  morn 
ing.  During  my  first  journey  in  the  Soudan,  I  slept  without  a 
tent  of  any  kind ;  and  both  I  and  another  of  the  party,  who  did 
the  same,  suffered  from  fever.  I  do  not  know  whether  we 
caught  it  in  this  way,  or  not ;  but  I  think  it  very  likely  that 
the  cold  nights,  and  often  heavy  dews,  after  the  intensely  hot 


THE  BARE  A  TRIBE,  1 35 

days,  would  induce  fever.  At  any  rate,  none  of  our  party 
suffered  in  this  way  during  our  last  two  journeys;  and,  ex- 
cept when  lying  out  at  nights  on  the  watch  for  game,  we 
always  slept  under  canvas. 

The  road  was  at  first  very  bad,  and  we  had  sometimes  to  cut 
our  way  through  bushes  in  order  to  allow  the  camels  to  pass. 
We  saw  scarcely  a  bird  or  a  gazelle ;  but  we  met  a  good  many 
Base,  with  fifty  or  sixty  donkeys  and  a  few  goats,  going  to  the 
Settite  for  dk?irra,  we  were  told ;  but  I  am  sure  that  was  not 
the  case,  as  we  found  afterwards  that  the  Base  on  the  Mareb 
had  no  dealings  whatever  with  the  people  living  on  the  Settite. 
Some  idea  of  the  poverty  of  the  Base  may  be  formed  from  the 
fact  that  these  donkeys  and  goats  were  the  first  we  had  seen 
since  leaving  Haikota,  with  the  exception  of  three  or  four 
donkeys  I  had  seen,  as  we  were  quitting  Aibaro,  trudging 
along  in  the  sandy  bed  of  the  Mareb. 

The  country  during  the  first  day's  journey  was  most  unin- 
teresting, hilly,  and  with  the  usual  bush-jungle  and  occasional 
large  trees,  growing  in  the  dry  beds  of  streams  that  during  the 
rains  fed  the  Mareb ;  in  one  of  these  were  the  remains  of  wells. 
By  nightfall  we  reached  a  village,  situated  on  a  hill,  where  we 
passed  the  night.  It  belonged  to  the  Barea  tribe.  The  people 
were  very  friendly,  and  gave  us  milk  and  water.  There  was  no 
water  nearer  than  three  or  four  miles  from  the  village,  in  the 
direction  of  Amedeb ;  and  it  was  brought  up  the  hill  in  goat- 
skins, and  carried  by  the  women  on  their  backs.  These  people 
paid  taxes  to  the  Egyptian  Government,  and  grew  a  good  deal  of 
dhurra.  In  appearance  they  much  resembled  their  neighbours 
the  Base,  but  wore  more  clothing,  and  appeared  altogether 
much  more  prosperous,  which  speaks  well  for  the  government. 
They  have  the  reputation  of  being  great  thieves,  and  of  being 
very  troublesome  people  to  deal  with.    I  think  the  night  we 


136 


A  THICK  FOG, 


spent  in  this  village  was  the  coldest  I  remember  passing  in 
the  Soudan ;  and  in  the  morning  there  was  a  thick  fog  that 
wet  one  through,  quite  like  a  Scotch  mist,  and  which  did  not 
lift  until  nearly  nine  o'clock.  The  people  told  us  it  occurred 
almost  every  morning  at  that  time  of  year. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


Our  Journey  to  Amedeb.  —  History  of  Sheik  Said  Carcashi.  —  The  Bombashi. — 
Promises  aid  in  recovering  the  Stolen  Property.  —  Ras  Aloula.  —  Town  of  Ame- 
deb. —  Pere   Picard.  —  Mahomet's  Sister.  —  Return  to  the  Mareb. 

As  soon  as  the  fog  cleared  away  we  started,  and  reached 
Amedeb  about  three  o'clock.  I  never  traversed  so  bad  a  road 
with  camels,  and  imagine  they  are  very  rarely  made  to  perform 
the  journey.  We  had  to  go  over  a  high  mountain,  from  which 
we  obtained  a  most  extensive  view ;  to  our  left  were  other 
mountains,  many  of  them  of  most  fantastic  shapes,  and  covered 
with  loose  stones  and  a  growth  of  short  trees  and  bushes,  while 
to  our  left  stretched  an  apparently  endless  plain,  on  which  our 
men  made  out  they  could  perceive  the  fringe  of  d/i02t7n-pa\ms 
that  borders  either  bank  of  Khor  Baraka.  The  whole  country 
was  covered  with  what  had  been  dhirra-fields,  the  hills  being 
terraced  for  its  cultivation,  reminding  me  in  appearance  of  the 
vines  growing  on  the  hillsides  in  Switzerland. 

A  long  time  before  we  reached  Amedeb,  we  could  see  it  in 
the  plain  before  us.  The  valley  in  which  it  is  situated  is  sur- 
rounded on  all  sides  by  mountains,  except  where  it  runs  into 
the  great  plain,  which  extends  east  and  west  for  miles.  This 
valley  is  very  unlovely,  being  covered  with  loose  stones,  and 
having  a  sparse  growth  of  small  bushes.  Nevertheless,  villages 
are  numerous,  all  being  built  on  the  hillsides,  and  of  the  usual 
conical-roofed  huts.    We  saw  plenty  of  cattle. 

A  Base,  who  had  accompanied  us  from  the  Mareb,  left  us  at 

137 


SHEIK  SAID  CAR  CASH! 


the  village  where  we  passed  the  night,  to  return,  being  afraid 
to  venture  into  Amedeb.  A  son  of  Sheik  Said  Carcashi  rode 
with  us,  on  horseback,  nearly  into  the  town,  where  he,  too,  left 
us  and  returned. 

Sheik  Said  Carcashi  was  originally  a  Base  from  the  Mareb, 
and  was  captured  when  a  boy,  and  sold  as  a  slave  at  Massawa. 
There  he  learned  to  speak  Arabic,  as  well  as  to  read  and  write 
it.  Mnzinger  Pacha  (a  Swiss,  governor  of  that  part  of  the 
Soudan  and  Sanheit,  who  was  killed  by  the  Abyssinians  some 
years  ago,  during  an  engagement  between  them  and  the  Egyp- 
tians), seeing  that  he  was  possessed  of  some  intelligence,  took 
him  to  Amedeb,  and  made  him  sheik  over  the  neighbouring 
people.  He  is,  of  course,  hated  by  the  independent  Base  living 
farther  south.  He  goes  about  with  a  small  army,  consisting 
of  a  handful  of  his  followers,  dressed  in  brilliant-coloured  calico 
drawers  and  red  waistcoats,  and  armed  with  government  rifles. 
Backed  by  these  men,  he  squeezes  taxes  out  of  all  the  people 
he  can  induce  to  pay  them.  This  is  the  man  whom  Sheik 
Kudul  imagined  we  had  brought  with  us  into  his  country, 
when  he  told  us,  that,  if  such  had  been  the  case,  he  had  meant 
to  ask  the  Abyssinians  to  help  him  to  fight  us. 

On  arriving  at  the  village,  where  we  had  spent  the  night, 
we  had  met  our  camels  returning  from  Amedeb.  They  had 
arrived  there  the  night  before  we  did ;  and  Sheik  Said  had 
detained  them  there,  having  heard  that  some  disaster  had 
happened  to  us,  although  he  did  not  know  what.  Bad  news, 
proverbially,  travels  fast ;  and  these  wild  countries  are  no 
exception  to  the  rule.  They  had  found  no  dJmrra  for  sale  at 
Amedeb,  but  had  procured  some  from  Sheik  Said ;  and  could 
get  only  very  little  cotton  cloth,  and  that  at  a  high  price.  We 
started  them  off  at  once  for  Aibaro,  as  we  were  running  short 
of  d/mrruy  and  had  many  mouths  to  feed. 


THE  BOMBASHir 


We  pitched  our  tents  just  outside  the  governor's  house,  and 
close  to  an  empty  hut,  of  which  we  took  possession  for  our  men 
and  luggage.  We  had  expected  to  find  an  old  friend  of  last 
year  in  the  governor  of  Amedeb,  as  a  very  intelligent  White 
Nile  negro,  whom  we  had  left  last  year  in  authority  at  Sanheit, 
had  been  transferred  there  ;  but  he  was  absent,  and  a  Turk, 
a  military  man,  was  taking  his  place.  We  lost  no  time  in 
g'omg  to  see  him,  and  found  him  very  civil,  ar;id  about  the  most 
energetic  man  I  ever  came  across  in  the  Soudan.  The  natives 
called  him  the  ''Bombashi,"  which  is  a  Turkish  expression, 
signifying  captain  of  a  thousand  soldiers.  We  found  that  the 
news  of  our  trouble  with  the  Dembelas  had  preceded  us.  Im- 
mediately on  hearing  of  it,  the  Bombashi  had  telegraphed  to 
the  Bey  at  Cassala,  telling  him  of  it,  and  asking  why  he  had 
allowed  us  to  go  into  that  country  without  an  escort  of  soldiers. 
He  replied,  that  we  had  told  him  we  were  going  into  the  Ham- 
ran  country  (which  belongs  to  the  government),  and  that  he 
had  sent  to  the  authorities  at  Jireh,  where  an  Egyptian  fort  has 
lately  been  erected,  telling  them  to  look  after  us ;  but  that  they 
had  sent  back  word  that  we  had  not  been  there.  He  said  that 
he  had  sent  messengers  after  us  to  Jireh,  and  two  letters. 

We  explained  to  the  Bombashi,  that  we  had  never  told  the 
Bey  we  were  going  to  the  Hamrans,  as  we  had  never  intended 
visiting  that  part  of  the  country,  which  had  been  visited  by  so 
many  Englishmen  that  it  was  quite  shot  out.  He  promised  to 
do  what  he  could  towards  helping  us  to  recover  our  rifles,  but 
was  not  very  hopeful  about  it.  He  told  us  that  the  Dembelas 
had  only  lately  killed  forty  Beni-Amers  in  Khor  Baraka,  and 
driven  off  a  great  number  of  cattle.  Some  of  our  native  ser- 
vants had  said  that  Sheik  Arri,  who  is  the  most  powerful  of 
the  Beni-Amer  chiefs  on  Khor  Baraka,  and  with  whom  we 
had  had  a  good  deal  to  do  the  previous  winter,  was  at  that 


TELEGRAMS  RETURNED  UNOPENED, 


time  on  friendly  terms  with  the  Dembelas  chiefs,  and  would 
be,  very  likely,  able  and  willing  to  help  us.  After  hearing 
this,  however,  we  made  up  our  minds  to  expect  no  aid  from 
that  quarter.  The  Tigrean  Abyssinians  had  also,  during  the 
last  two  months,  stolen  some  thousands  of  cattle  between 
Sanheit  and  Massawa. 

The  Bombashi  telegraphed  to  Sanheit,  asking  if  they  would 
send  to  Ras  Aloula  (who  is  the  commander  of  the  Abyssinian 
army,  and  the  chief  person  in  the  country,  after  the  king),  de- 
manding the  restitution  of  the  rifles.  A  reply  came  back  very 
quickly,  saying  that  they  would  do  so.  We  felt  sure,  how- 
ever, that  they  would  never  attempt  such  a  thing.  The  gov- 
ernor of  Sanheit  also  said,  in  his  telegram,  that  he  had  tele- 
graphed the  news  to  the  minister  of  the  interior  at  Cairo.  I, 
accordingly,  telegraphed  to  Cairo,  asking  that  a  telegram 
might  be  sent  to  England,  to  say  that  we  were  all  safe,  as  I 
feared  an  exaggerated  account  of  the  affair  might  get  into  the 
English  papers.  Unfortunately,  as  it  turned  out,  I  might  have 
saved  myself  this  trouble  and  expense. 

Before  leaving  Cairo,  I  had  arranged  that  if  I  telegraphed 
there  saying,  Send  such  and  such  a  message  to  England,"  it 
should  be  transmitted  to  a  friend  in  London,  who  had  prom- 
ised to  send  it  on  to  the  friends  of  each  member  of  the  party. 
By  a  mistake  on  the  part  of  the  jDcople  at  Shepherd's  Hotel, 
the  message,  instead  of  being  sent  to  this  friend  in  London, 
was  sent  to  "James,"  at  my  London  address;  my  housekeeper 
forwarded  it  with  my  other  letters,  and  it  reached  me  unopened 
at  Massawa.  It  is,  of  course,  impossible  to  forward  messages 
direct  to  England  from  the  Soudan,  as  they  have  to  be  sent  in 
Arabic.  I  thought  the  telegram  would  be  sure  to  go  safely, 
as  I  had  left  written  instructions  at  Cairo.  A  second  one  I  sent 
to  England,  on  our  return  to  Amedeb,  shared  the  same  fate, 


AMEDEB, 


141 


and  I  received  it  on  my  arrival  at  Suez.  I  also  telegraphed 
our  thanks  to  the  Bey  at  Cassala,  for  the  trouble  he  had  taken 
on  our  behalf. 

Amedeb  is  a  wretched  place ;  it  contains  a  garrison  of  eight 
hundred  soldiers,  and  boasts  of  four  cannon  and  a  mortar.  It 
is  the  worst  supplied  town  I  met  with  in  the  Soudan,  owing, 
no  doubt,  to  its  being  off  any  principal  caravan-route  ;  and  is 
a  purely  military  post,  having  no  trade  worth  mentioning.  Our 
camel-drivers  had  told  us  how  poor  the  bazaars  were ;  they  had 
only  been  able  to  get  five  small  packets  of  candles  to  take  to 
the  camp,  one  of  which  we  appropriated,  having  forgotten  to 
bring  any  with  us.  We  bought  a  few  beads  to  take  back,  but 
they  were  poor  and  very  dear ;  and  we  were  also  able  to  obtain 
milk  and  eggs.  We  were  in  great  luck,  too,  in  being  able  to 
procure  camels,  as,  during  our  stay,  a  string  of  from  two  to 
three  hundred  Shukereeyeh  camels  arrived,  bringing  dJiurra  for 
the  government.  We  sent  a  Shukereeyeh  camel-driver  we  had 
brought  from  Aibaro  to  their  owners,  and,  after  a  great  deal  of 
discussion,  succeeded  in  hiring  eight,  with  four  drivers,  at  the 
rate  of  twelve  dollars  a  month  each,  enormous  wages  for  the 
country ;  but  they  were  all  in  such  fear  of  the  Base,  that  they 
would  not  consent  to  take  less. 

While  detained  at  Amedeb,  I  wrote  a  letter  to  Pere  Picard,  ^ 
a  French  priest,  belonging  to  the  Roman-Catholic  mission  at 
Sanheit,  telling  him  of  what  had  happened,  and  asking  him  to 
help  us  recover  our  rifles.  We  had  made  his  acquaintance  the 
previous  winter ;  he  is  a  most  energetic  man,  and  knows  Abys- 
sinia well ;  and  I  knew  he  would  help  us  if  he  could.  It  was 
not  merely  on  account  of  the  monetary  value  of  the  rifles,  that 
we  were  anxious  to  recover  them,  but  we  could  not  bear  to 
think  that  they  had  got  our  weapons  from  us. 

Mahomet,  before  he  died,  had  told  Salee  that  he  had  a  sister 


142 


RETURN  FROM  AMEDEB. 


at  Amedeb,  who  would  take  charge  of  any  thing  we  wished  to 
give  to  his  wife,  who  lived  in  Khor  Baraka.  He  said,  that,  as  he 
had  once  killed  a  man  near  Amedeb,  they  would  not  dare  to 
go  there  themselves  ;  Khor  Baraka  was  his  home  ;  and,  al- 
though we  found  him  at  Cassala,  he  said  he  had  only  been 
there  a  month.  The  Bombashi  found  the  sister  for  us ;  and 
we  gave  her  Mahomet's  sword,  which,  I  believe,  was  the  sum 
total  of  his  worldly  goods,  and  ten  dollars,  which  she  was  to 
give  to  his  wife,  and  to  tell  her,  that,  if  she  would  go  to  the 
priests  at  Sanheit,  we  would  look  after  her  and  her  children. 
A  more  shrivelled-up  old  hag  than  this  woman,  I  never  saw ; 
she  looked  half  starved  and  miserably  poor ;  and  we  gave  her  a 
present  of  money  for  herself. 

After  a  day  and  a  half  spent  at  Amedeb,  we  started  to  return 
to  the  rest  of  our  party.  Having  proceeded  about  two  hours 
on  our  way,  we  were  joined  by  Sheik  Said  Carcashi.  We  had 
met  him  at  the  Bombashi' s  divan  when  calling  there  the  previ- 
ous day,  and  he  had  been  most  solicitous  to  return  with  us  to 
the  Mareb.  We  explained,  however,  both  to  him  and  the  Bom- 
bashi, that  it  was  impossible  for  us  to  consent  to  his  joining  us, 
as  we  knew  he  was  anything  but  friends  with  the  Base  on  the 
Mareb,  and  his  going  would  lead  to  complications,  to  say  the 
least  of  it.  He  was  forced  to  admit  that  they  were  not  on 
the  best  of  terms ;  and  I  feel  sure  that,  if  we  had  consented  to 
take  him,  he  would  have  backed  out  of  it  at  the  last  moment. 
This  sheik  had  a  long  conversation  with  Suleiman,  in  which,  as 
translated  by  Suleiman,  he  expressed  great  surprise  at  our  mak- 
ing friends  with  "that  beast  man.  Sheik  Kudul."  The  Base 
had  eyed  our  departure  from  Amedeb  with  considerable  sus- 
picion ;  and,  if  we  had  brought  Sheik  Said  back  with  us,  they 
would  at  once  have  concluded  that  we  were  exploring  their 
country  with  a  view  to  taxation  by  the  Egyptian  Government. 


A  SHEIK'S  ENTERTAINMENT. 


143 


The  sheik  insisted  on  our  accompanying  him  to  his  house, 
which  was  at  the  foot  of  the  steep  hill  we  had  been  obliged  to 
descend  in  going  to  Amedeb.  He  gave  us  some  meat,  which 
we  were,  of  course,  obliged  to  eat  with  our  fingers,  and  some 
coffee,  and  also  a  present  of  honey,  and  some  horrid  looking 
cooking-butter  in  a  dirty  skin,  which  we  took  with  us.  Our 
men  made  very  short  work  of  the  meat,  after  we  had  tasted 
some  of  it.  We  spent  the  night  about  two  hours  beyond  the 
village,  where  we  had  broken  the  journey  in  going  to  Amedeb. 
The  following  morning,  while  preparing  to  depart,  we  were 
visited  by  a  number  of  Base  quite  as  curious,  and  as  scantily 
clothed,  as  their  brethren  on  the  Mareb. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Alarm  of  an  Attack  by  the  Base.  —  Our  Camp  moves  on.  —  Independence  of  the 
Base.  —  Elephant-tracks.  —  Most  of  the  Base  leave  the  Camp.  —  A  Shot  at  a 
Lion.  —  Difficulty  of  shooting  while  riding  Camels,  —  The  Arabs  strike.  —  Abun- 
dance of  Quail. 

We  reached  Aibaro  in  the  afternoon,  and  found  the  camp  in 
a  state  of  great  excitement,  and  all  hands  at  work  strengthen- 
ing the  zariba.  It  appeared  that  Longay,  who  was  the  son  of 
the  sheik  of  Koolookoo,  had  informed  our  party  that  the  Base 
were  getting  dissatisfied,  and  meditated  an  attack  on  the  camp. 
Longay  had  been  with  us  all  the  time,  and  was  of  great  use  to 
us.  My  attention  had  been  early  drawn  to  him  by  George, 
who  one  day  pointed  him  out  to  me  fetching  wood  for  the  cook, 
and  said,  The  king's  son  makes  himself  most  useful  in  bring- 
ing wood  and  water."  As  he  was  a  person  of  more  importance 
than  most  of  the  other  Base,  he  was  promoted  to  cleaning  boots 
and  knives  ;  and,  being  moreover  so  serviceable,  we  used  to 
allow  him  inside  the  zariba,  and  his  inner  man  was  catered  for 
by  our  cook.  He  told  us  that  the  Base  wanted  us  out  of  their 
country,  and  called  him  our  slave.  My  belief  is,  that  he  said 
this  to  ingratiate  himself  further  with  us  ;  and  also  it  is  more 
than  probable,  that  the  others  were  jealous  of  our  attentions  to 
him. 

The  Base  had  certainly  done  all  in  their  power,  that  morning, 
to  induce  the  party  to  leave  the  camp  ;  some  declaring  they  had 
just  seen  buffaloes  in  one  direction,  and  others,  that  there  were 
144 


1 


■lO 


BASE  ACTING  SUSPICIOUSLY, 


145 


/////  in  another.  They  would  not,  I  think,  have  attacked  us 
when  we  were  all  together,  either  by  night  or  day ;  but  it  is 
quite  possible,  that,  if  they  had  succeeded  in  inducing  a  party  to 
go  out  shooting,  they  might  have  endeavoured  in  their  absence 
to  loot  the  camp,  and  make  off  with  whatever  they  could  lay 
their  hands  upon ;  and  Longay  further  added,  that  the  Base 
tribes  were  massing  around  us,  preparatory  to  a  descent  on  our 
camp.  Fires  in  all  directions  gave  a  semblance  of  truth  to 
this  statement.  At  any  rate,  fore-warned  is  fore-armed  ;  "  and 
it  was  just  as  well  to  neglect  no  precautions.  Suleiman  most 
injudiciously  told  some  of  the  Base  that  we  had  heard  of  the 
threat  that  had  been  made,  but  they  indignantly  denied  it. 
Nothing  occurred  that  night ;  but  we  had  a  watch,  of  course,  as 
usual,  and  the  next  morning  made  a  farther  move  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Haikota. 

On  first  arriving  at  Haikota,  we  debated  whether  to  go  up 
the  Gash,  or  to  make  for  the  Settite,  that  part  of  it  over  which 
we  wanted  to  shoot  extending  along  the  river  eastward  from 
the  Hamran  country.  Sheik  Achmed  declared  we  could  go  in 
whichever  direction  we  preferred ;  but  we  chose  the  Gash,  as 
we  hoped,  after  travelling  as  far  as  possible  along  its  banks,  to 
be  able  to  go  straight  across  country,  and  so  reach  the  river. 
The  sheik  had  not  actually  promised  that  we  could  do  this,  but 
had  said  he  felt  sure  we  should  find  some  of  the  Base  willing 
to  show  us  a  way  to  the  Settite  ;  but,  even  if  we  had  had  no 
trouble  with  the  Dembelas,  I  doubt  very  much  if  it  would  have 
been  a  practicable  journey  for  camels,  owing  to  the  rugged 
nature  of  the  ground,  the  number  of  hills,  and  the  thickness  of 
the  jungle  in  many  places,  through  which  we  should  have  been 
obliged  to  make  our  way.  I  am  sure,  too,  that  none  of  the 
Arabs  we  had  with  us  had  ever  made  the  journey,  and  I  do  not 
believe  that  any  of  the  Base  knew  the  way. 


14^ 


TRACKING  ELEPHANTS, 


The  Base  are  quite  unlike  any  other  African  tribe  I  ever 
^ame  across,  one  village  having  no  communication  or  friendly 
relationship  with  another  one,  only  a  few  miles  off,  so  that  they 
are  anything  but  a  united  people ;  and  in  this  way  one  has  con- 
stant  delays  in  travelling  amongst  them,  as  it  is  necessary  to 
be  all  the  time  making  fresh  friends  as  one  goes  along.  I  do 
not  believe  that  the  Base  dwelling  on  the  Mareb  know  any- 
thing whatever  of  those  on  the  Settite. 

Our  Haikota  horsemen  declared  it  would  not  be  necessary  to 
go  all  the  way  back  to  Haikota  before  crossing  to  the  Settite ; 
as  they  knew  of  a  road  which  turned  off  about  three  days'  jour- 
ney from  that  place,  and  where  we  could  obtain  water.  A  very 
pleasant  day's  march  took  us  past  Koolookoo.  I  think  this  is 
the  most  picturesque  part  of  the  Gash  :  its  bed  is  here  narrower 
than  usual,  and  its  course  most  tortuous.  Immense  trees  in 
full  leaf  line  either  bank ;  and  the  undergrowth  is  very  thick, 
affording  excellent  covert  for  the  partridges  and  guinea-fowl, 
which  are  most  numerous,  and  gave  us  capital  sport.  Where 
the  covert  is  not  too  thick,  these  birds  run,  and  are  very  unwill- 
ing to  rise.  They  were  most  useful  for  our  commissariat  de- 
partment ;  and,  although  very  dry  eating,  we  were  very  glad  to 
get  them. 

Elephants  had  passed  quite  recently  in  the  direction  of  the 
Settite,  whither  they  had  probably  gone.  They  frequently 
march  through  from  one  river  to  the  other,  and,  when  pursued 
on  the  Settite,  very  often  make  for  the  Gash,  and  vice  versa. 
My  brothers  took  up  the  tracks,  and  followed  them  for  some 
miles.  They  were  only  a  day  or  two  old  ;  and  the  whole  herd, 
about  thirty  of  them,  at  Wo  Ammar,  had  marched  clean 
through  our  old  zariba^  inside  which  we  decided  to  spend  the 
night. 

At  this  point  most  of  our  Base  left  us,  and  none  of  them  ac- 


A  BUFFALO  HERD. 


companied  us  more  than  a  few  miles  farther.  We  gave  Langay 
a  good  present.  I  feel  sure  that  any  Englishmen  wishing  to 
shoot  in  that  country  would  be  certain  of  a  kind  reception  by 
the  people,  if  they  only  treated  the  people  judiciously;  at  the 
same  time,  of  course,  letting  them  see  that' they  were  on  their 
guard  against  any  possible  duplicity  on  their  part.  They  were 
soon  convinced  that  we  meant  them  no  injury,  and,  when  we 
parted,  told  us  they  would  be  very  glad  to  see  us  again ;  that 
we  had  procured  them  meat  to  eat,  and  added  that  they  hoped, 
next  time  we  came,  we  would  bring  them  plenty  of  cotton  cloth. 

The  heat  began  to  increase  very  much.  We  had  been  glad, 
after  dinner,  to  draw  our  chairs  round  a  blazing  fire,  but  the 
evenings  had  become  so  warm  now  that  we  required  no  fire,  and 
were  glad  to  sit  in  our  pyjamas.  The  early  mornings  were, 
however,  still  cold ;  and  then  our  blankets  proved  most  welcome. 

The  day  we  left  Wo  Ammar,  we  started  well  ahead  of  the 
caravan,  as  we  were  anxious  to  see  some  pools  of  water  at  a 
rocky  spot  in  the  Gash,  which  we  had  missed  in  going  up,  by 
cutting  off  a  bend  in  the  river.  We  were  rewarded  by  seeing 
some  fine  mehedeJiety  which,  however,  made  off  before  we  could 
get  a  shot  at  them ;  but  William  shot  a  fine  buck  nelhct  as  he 
was  returning  from  one  of  the  pools.  Late  in  the  afternoon, 
on  approaching  the  Gash,  we  observed  a  large  fire,  and  volumes 
of  smoke  in  front  of  us  ;  one  of  our  horsemen  declared  it  had 
been  made  by  some  Base  in  order  to  drive  buffaloes  out  of  the 
high  grass.  Hardly  were  the  words  out  of  his  mouth,  when  we 
saw  a  great  cloud  of  dust,  towards  which  we  rode  in  all  haste, 
anxious  to  discover  the  cause  of  this  unusual  phenomenon. 
We  soon  perceived  a  herd  of  some  thirty  buffaloes,  led  by  a 
large  bull,  all  galloping  off  as  hard  as  they  could  tear.  We  pur- 
sued them  as  well  as  we  could,  for  some  distance ;  but  our 
horses  were  not  up  to  much  pace,  and,  being  late  in  the  after- 


148 


ROYAL  GAME. 


noon,  we  could  not  have  come  up  with  them  before  darkness 
had  set  in. 

On  arriving  in  camp  we  found  that  about  the  worst  possible 
place  had  been  chosen  for  the  tents,  which  had  been  pitched 
above  the  Gash,  on  a  piece  of  ground  which  had  been  lately 
covered  with  grass,  and,  this  grass  having  been  burnt,  the  wind, 
which  was  very  high  at  the  time,  blew  the  ashes  about  in  all 
directions,  and  covered  every  thing  with  them.  We  always 
had  our  table  laid  for  dinner  outside,  in  the  open  air ;  but  on 
this  occasion  we  were  forced  to  have  it  moved  inside  a  tent,  as 
we  were  nearly  blinded  by  the  charred  remains  of  the  grass. 

It  was  from  this  point  that  our  Haikota  horsemen  had  prom- 
ised to  turn  off  with  us  to  the  Settite,  and  we  had  fully  expect- 
ed to  start  the  following  day.  Soon  after  our  arrival,  however, 
we  felt  convinced  a  storm  was  brewing,  as  the  men  were  un- 
wontedly  excited,  and  talking  a  great  deal  among  themselves. 
It  was  not  very  long  before  a  deputation  came  to  us,  to  beg  we 
would  go  another  day's  journey,  a  short  one,  they  said,  farther 
on,  before  turning  off ;  they  gave,  as  a  reason  for  the  change  of 
route,  a  better  road  and  more  water,  and  declared  (which  was 
quite  true)  that  the  majority  of  the  camels  were  not  in  a  fit 
state  to  undertake  a  journey  over  a  very  bad  road.  We  decided 
on  taking  their  advice,  and  gave  the  order  to  start  the  next  day, 
and  encamp  at  the  place  they  named,  which  is  called  Sekabah. 

The  following  day,  as  Colvin  and  Lort  Phillips  were  riding  on 
ahead  of  the  caravan,  on  the  lookout  for  game,  they  suddenly 
came  across  a  lion  and  lioness.  Lort  Phillips,  having  had  his 
horse  taken  by  the  Dembelas,  had  since  been  obliged  to  ride  a 
camel,  —  than  which  no  beast  can  be  more  provoking.  He 
jumped  off  as  quickly  as  possible ;  but  the  animal  set  up  such  a 
fearful  noise  that  it  frightened  the  lions,  who  made  off  towards 
some  high  grass  growing  near.    He  had  a  shot  at  the  lion  at 


CAMELS  VS.  HORSES. 


149 


about  a  hundred  yards,  through  thick  bushes,  and  knocked  him 
clean  over  as  if  he  had  been  a  rabbit;  however,  he  got  up  again 
almost  immediately,  and,  before  it  was  possible  to  obtain  a 
second  shot,  had  disappeared  into  the  grass.  They  saw  his 
marks,  and  some  drops  of  blood,  and  followed  him  a  short  way, 
but  were  soon  obliged  to  give  it  up,  as  they  lost  his  footprints. 
If  either  of  them  had  been  on  foot,  and  ready  for  a  shot,  they 
could  have  had  one  at  about  twenty  yards. 

Camels  are  most  tiresome  animals  to  shoot  from.  They  will 
rarely  allow  you  to  mount  or  dismount  without  setting  up  a 
deafening  roar,  enough  to  scare  away  all  the  game  in  Africa, 
and  are  so  tall,  that,  although  they  afford  the  rider  a  capital 
view  of  the  country,  they  are  most  conspicuous  objects,  and  apt 
to  frighten  off  any  game  there  may  be  about.  Still,  whenever 
there  is  not  much  sport  in  prospect,  I  much  prefer  a  camel  to  a 
horse  as  a  mode  of  conveyance  in  Africa.  The  motion  of  a  good 
camel  is  not  tiring  when  once  you  get  accustomed  to  it,  which 
you  very  soon  do ;  and  it  will  travel  at  the  rate  of  about  five 
miles  an  hour,  for  hours  together.  I  am,  of  course,  alluding 
only  to  the  good  ones.  The  mahloofa,  or  native  saddle,  is 
most  comfortable ;  and  you  have  the  great  advantage  of  being 
able  to  carry  about  with  you  plenty  of  odds  and  ends  in  the 
shape  of  water-skins,  guns,  and  bags.  We  only  took  camels 
with  us  on  our  shooting  expeditions  for  the  purpose  of  carrying 
water  and  luncheon,  as  well  as  to  bring  back  any  meat  we  might 
have  obtained ;  on  these  occasions,  we  invariably  insisted  on 
their  keeping  a  long  way  in  our  rear.  We  were  fortunate  in 
having  obtained  good  riding-camels  ;  and  they  were  better  looked 
after  than  the  baggage  ones,  as,  in  the  first  place,  each  of  us 
paid  a  good  deal  of  attention  to  his  own  individual  camel,  and 
we  chose  the  best  of  the  drivers  to  attend  to  them. 

Arthur  and  I  overtook  Lort  Phillips  and  Colvin  soon  after 


MORE  ILL-LUCK  WITH  LIONS. 


the  shot  at  the  lion ;  and,  as  they  had  given  it  up,  we  decided 
on  burning  the  grass  where  it  had  disappeared,  to  see  if  we 
could  not  drive  it  out,  as  we  thought,  if  it  was  badly  wounded,  it 
could  not  have  gone  very  far,  and  might  show  itself  in  the  open. 
We  accordingly  burnt  some  miles  of  grass,  but  without  any 
result ;  the  only  animal  we  saw  being  a  gazelle,  which  rushed 
out  into  the  river-bed,  and  then  bolted  back  again  into  the  blaz- 
ing grass,  evidently  bewildered,  and  not  knowing  which  way  to 
turn.  I  afterwards  shot  a  fine  bull  tetel :  there  are  two  varieties 
in  this  part  of  Africa.  Lort  Phillips  and  Colvin  went  on  be- 
yond the  place  where  we  encamped  for  the  night,  to  a  spot 
called  Abiam,  where  the  bed  of  the  Gash  becomes  very  rocky, 
and  much  narrower,  and  where  there  are  some  pools  of  water. 
Their  ill-luck  with  the  lions  pursued  them  there  ;  for,  as  they 
were  leisurely  riding  along  the  bed  of  the  river,  they  suddenly 
came  upon  a  lion,  lioness,  and  three  cubs,  almost  hidden  under 
the  dense  shade  of  a  large  ncbbuk-tr^Q,  who  as  suddenly 
bounded  up  the  bank,  and  disappeared ;  the  ground  was  too 
hard  to  allow  of  tracking  them.  We  often  followed  the  fresh 
footprints  of  lions,  but  never  with  success  ;  it  always  ended  in 
their  getting  on  ground  too  hard  to  take  the  impression  of  their 
feet,  or  else  we  tracked  them  into  thick  jungle,  and  there  lost 
them.  In  returning  to  camp,  Lort  Phillips  and  Colvin  shot 
some  tetel,  a  very  mild  quarry  after  one's  appetite  had  been 
whetted  by  the  sight  of  lions.  Tetel  are  very  common  through- 
out the  Base  country  ;  and  we  thought  the  meat  better  than  that 
of  any  other  species  of  antelope,  and  so  frequently  shot  them 
for  the  pot. 

Again  we  were  nonplussed  by  our  tiresome  Arabs,  who  came 
to  us  in  the  evening,  to  ask  us  to  put  off  our  departure  for  the 
Settite,  and  this  time  declared  that  the  only  way  for  us  to  reach 
that  river  was  by  going  first  to  Haikota.  They  gave  two  reasons  * 


THE  ARABS  STRIKE. 


for  this  :  first,  the  reason  they  had  given  us  the  clay  before, 
that  the  road  was  bad  ;  and,  secondly,  that  we  should  be  obliged, 
if  we  took  that  road,  to  pass  close  by  the  village  which  Sheik 
Achmed  and  his  men  had  lately  attacked  in  revenge  for  their 
having  killed  some  Haikota  people.  We  were,  of  course,  very 
angry  and  disappointed  on  hearing  this  ;  and  then  the  camel- 
drivers  all  struck,  and  said  nothing  would  induce  them  to  go,  the 
other  Arabs  followed  suit,  so  that  there  was  nothing  to  be  done 
but  to  submit,  I  am  quite  sure  that  from  the  first  none  of  them 
had  the  least  intention  of  going  to  the  Settite,  other  than  by 
Haikota,  only  they  did  not  like  to  say  so  a  moment  sooner 
than  they  were  obliged  to ;  and,  from  what  we  could  afterwards 
make  out,  I  do  not  believe  that  any  single  one  of  them  had  ever 
been  that  way  before.  Of  course  we  had  expected  to  find  only 
the  barest  path,  if  even  that  ;  but  it  was  necessary  for  some  one 
to  know  the  way,  on  account  of  obtaining  water,  which  is  not 
very  scarce  between  the  Gash  and  the  Settite,  but  some  one  in 
the  party  must  know  where  it  is  to  be  found.  In  following  the 
road  between  Cassala  and  the  Settite,  in  the  Hamran  country, 
there  is  no  water  to  be  found  till  one  reaches  the  river.  I 
made  the  journey  in  the  spring  of  1878,  and  a  more  disagree- 
able one  I  never  experienced.  It  took  nearly  four  days  ;  water 
had  to  be  carried  for  the  entire  journey ;  there  was  not  a  parti- 
cle of  shade  the  whole  way,  and  I  was  suffering  from  fever  at 
the  time. 

If  we  had  been  told,  before  leaving  Haikota,  that  we  should 
have  to  return  there  again  before  setting  out  for  the  Settite,  we 
could  have  started  with  fewer  camels,  and,  in  that  way,  have 
saved  ourselves  both  trouble  and  expense. 

Not  far  from  Abiam  there  was  a  piece  of  ground  overgrown 
by  fine  grass  (which  was,  of  course,  dried  up  like  hay)  and  short 
scrubby  bushes,  where,  in  starting  up  and  returning  from  the 


152 


QUAIL  IN  ABUNDANCE, 


Gash,  we  found  quail  very  numerous.  We  shot  a  good  many 
of  them,  as  well  as  partridges,  which  were  also  very  plentiful. 
Although  I  have  sometimes  come  across  a  quail  here  and  there, 
and  very  occasionally  two  or  three  together,  this  was  the  first 
and  only  place  in  the  Soudan  where  I  ever  found  them  plenti- 
ful. They  arrive  in  Upper  Egypt  about  the  beginning  of  Feb- 
ruary ;  and  I  have  found  them  very  numerous  at  that  time,  not 
far  below  the  first  cataract,  and  am  at  a  loss  to  imagine  where 
the  thousands,  that  annually  visit  Egypt  about  that  time,  can 
come  from ;  they  certainly  arrive  from  the  south,  and  for  some 
hundreds  of  miles  south  of  the  first  cataract  there  is  very  little 
country  that  can  afford  good  feeding-ground  for  quail.  I  have 
seen  it  stated,  that  Sennar,  on  the  Blue  Nile,  is  the  limit  of 
their  southern  flight ;  if  they  go  there  in  any  numbers,  the 
country  must  be  very  different  from  any  I  have  seen  in  the 
Soudan.  They,  doubtless,  take  immensely  long  flights  without 
halting  anywhere  ;  which  they  are  able  to  do,  as  proved  by  the 
great  numbers  that  every  autumn  cross  the  Mediterranean  from 
Europe  into  Africa.  I  believe  they  always  make  their  flight 
by  night.    I  have  never  seen  them  en  voyage. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


Return  to  Haikota.  —  Mishaps  with  the  Camels.  —  Success  of  the  Magic-Lantern.  — 
Departure  for  the  Settite.  —  The  Village  of  Sogada.  —  Arrival  at  the  Settite. 

Two  more  long  clays  brought  us  back  again  to  Haikota,  where 
we  arrived  on  Feb.  25,  and  pitched  our  tents  in  our  old  quar- 
ters close  to  the  German  animal-dealer's  zariba.  At  Toadelook, 
where  we  broke  the  journey,  we  found  buffaloes  in  the  long 
grass,  but  getting  wind  of  us  they  galloped  off  before  we  could 
obtain  a  shot  ;  we  also  came  across  tolerably  fresh  elephant- 
tracks.  On  our  arrival  at  Haikota,  we  were  delighted  to  find 
letters  and  newspapers,  the  first  we  had  received  since  leaving 
Suez  on  Dec.  7.  Our  latest  newspapers  were  dated  London, 
Jan.  7.  Receiving  letters  was  an  agreeable  surprise,  as  we  had 
ordered  them  to  be  sent  to  Amedeb,  where  there  is  a  post- 
office  ;  this  was  only  an  instance  of  the  way  in  which  every 
thing  is  done  in  the  Soudan,  exactly  contrary  to  orders,  as  a 
rule.  However,  this  time  we  were  not  disposed  to  quarrel  with 
anybody  for  the  mistake  that  had  been  made. 

Before  making  a  fresh  start,  we  left  five  of  our  camels  behind, 
as  well  as  two  of  the  hired  ones  :  they  were  not  fit  to  go  on, 
being  apparently  quite  worn  out,  some  of  them  suffering  from 
dreadful  sores,  the  result  entirely  of  having  been  carelessly 
laden ;  while  others  had  eaten  the  hikabect,  and  had  nearly 
died  of  poison  in  consequence.  Sheik  Achmed  hired  three 
camels  for  us  in  place  of  these,  which  we  thought  would  be 
enough,  as  we  intended  taking  less  luggage.    We  were  told, 

153 


154  USELESS  ATTENDANTS  DISMISSED. 


too,  that  we  should  be  able  to  buy  plenty  of  dJiurra  from  the 
Base  on  the  Settite,  so  that  it  appeared  we  could  cut  ourselves 
down  very  much  in  that  respect.  Since  leaving  Haikota,  no 
less  than  seven  of  our  camels  had  died  ;  and  on  our  return 
there  from  the  Settite,  the  sheik  informed  us  that  two  out  of  the 
five  camels  we  had  left  behind  in  his  care  had  died  of  snake- 
bite."   The  other  three  were  supposed  to  have  recovered. 

We  insisted  on  leaving  behind  the  old  man  whose  horse  had 
been  taken  by  the  Dembelas,  and  two  of  the  other  horsemen. 
They  had  proved  to  be  utterly  useless,  speaking  neither  Arabic 
nor  Base,  and  being  very  lazy ;  in  fact,  considering  themselves 
quite  above  work  of  any  kind.  We  had  taken  four  horsemen 
whom  we  paid  twenty-five  dollars  a  month,  and  Mahomet  Salee 
at  thirty  dollars.  The  latter  did  not  belong  to  Haikota ;  his 
horse  was  his  own  property,  and  the  money  went  to  himself,  — 
at  least,  so  he  told  us  ;  probably,  however,  he  was  made  to  pay 
a  good  percentage  of  it  to  the  sheik.  Of  the  remaining  four, 
Barumphy  had  proved  himself  useful,  as  he  spoke  Base  fluently, 
and  evidently  knew  the  country  well ;  he  was  supposed  to  own 
his  horse,  and  keep  half  his  pay,  giving  the  other  half  to  the 
sheik. 

The  other  three  were  all  servants  of  the  sheik,  who  owned 
their  horses,  and,  of  course,  took  all  the  money.  We  knew, 
when  engaging  them,  that  we  did  not  require  so  many,  but  we 
found  it  impossible  to  proceed  without  them  ;  he  had  wanted 
us  at  first  to  take  more  of  these  useless  incumbrances,  and  tc 
pay  them  a  higher  rate  of  wages,  but  we  had  cut  him  down  a*? 
much  as  we  could.  Of  course,  he  pretended  that  they  were  all 
independent  men,  and  that  he  gained  nothing  by  their  accom- 
panying us  ;  they  were,  moreover,  all  supposed  to  know  the 
country,  and  to  speak  the  language. 

We  gave  the  inhabitants  another  display  of  the  magic-lantern 


DEPARTURE  FOR  THE  SETTITE. 


before  leaving ;  and  they  arrived  in  crowds,  and  were  greatly 
enchanted.  As  a  termination  to  the  entertainment,  we  let  off  a 
couple  of  rockets  and  a  Bengal-light.  One  of  the  rockets  did 
not  go  off  properly,  and  ignited  some  grass  ;  which  fortunately, 
however,  had  been  so  much  eaten  down  by  immense  herds  of 
cattle,  sheep,  and  goats,  that  we  were  easily  able  to  extinguish  it. 

The  year  before,  Suleiman,  in  carelessly  throwing  away  the 
end  of  a  cigarette,  had  set  fire  to  the  grass.  He  was  ahead  of 
us  at  the  time,  with  the  caravan.  The  fire  spread  very  rapidly, 
and  burnt  miles  of  country,  spreading  even  to  the  tops  of  some 
high  hills.  The  camels  got  frightened,  and  many  of  them 
threw  off  their  loads,  and  bolted ;  and  a  great  scene  of  confu- 
sion took  place.  George,  who  was  present,  was  much  terrified, 
and  as  quickly  as  possible  got  the  luggage  and  camels  into  the 
sandy  bed  of  a  khor,  where  he  buried  the  gunpowder.  There 
was  no  real  danger;  but  it  looked  sufficiently  alarming,  and 
reminded  one  of  a  chapter  in  one  of  Capt.  Mayne  Reid's 
novels.  We  despatched  a  messenger  to  Cassala,  with  a  large 
budget  of  letters  for  the  post,  and  on  the  same  day,  Feb.  27, 
made  a  start  south  for  the  Settite.  We  had  fully  explained  to 
the  sheik  where  we  wished  to  go,  and  had  told  him  that  we  did 
not  care  to  visit  the  Hamran  country,  which  has  of  late  years 
been  so  frequently  shot  over  by  Europeans,  as  to  have  very 
little  game  left.  He  promised  that  we  should  strike  the  river 
at  its  junction  with  Khor  Meheteb,  a  khoj^-  that  runs  into  the 
Settite  from  the  north.  This  we  understood  was  the  farthest 
point  in  that  direction  where  European  travellers  had  succeeded 
in  making  a  camp ;  as  it  was  on  the  borders  of  the  Base  coun- 
try, and  the  Hamrans  and  the  Base  are  deadly  enemies.  We 
had  hoped,  commencing  from  here,  to  shoot  for  some  distance 
up  the  river,  and  expected  to  find  a  tract  of  country  which, 
though  small,  had  not  been  previously  shot  over. 


156 


AN  ANCIENT  WELL, 


Our  first  day  out  from  Haikota,  we  only  made  four  hours. 
The  country  was  uninteresting, — the  usual  bush-jungle,  and 
very  little  game.  All  the  grass  had  been  eaten  up  by  the  im- 
mense herds  which  were  in  the  country.  Our  camping-ground, 
however,  was  near  some  large  trees,  in  an  open  space  called 
Fahncoob,  —  a  well-known  halting-place  of  the  Arabs,  and  with 
quite  a  park-like  appearance.  There  was  water  in  a  kJior  not 
very  far  off ;  and  we  shot  two  or  three  gazelles,  and  so  were 
enabled  to  supply  the  camp  with  fresh  meat.  The  following 
day,  before  we  had  started,  the  sheik,  his  brother,  and  nine 
horsemen  arrived ;  most  of  the  latter  returned  after  they  had 
had  some  coffee,  but  the  rest  of  the  party  remained  with  us. 
We  were  informed  that  we  were  to  spend  the  night  near  a  Base 
village  called  Sogada  ;  and  here  it  was  necessary  to  interview 
the  sheik  before  travelling  any  farther. 

About  an  hour  before  encamping,  we  passed  a  well,  near 
which  we  passed  the  night ;  it  was  a  very  old  one,  very  deep, 
and  with  an  enormously  wide  mouth.  To  obtain  water,  it  was 
necessary  to  scramble  down  the  sides  of  it.  We  were  told  that 
no  one  knew  how  long  it  had  been  made,  but  that  it  was  very 
ancient.  I  should  think  it  must  have  been  from  two  to  three 
hundred  feet  deep,  and  I  am  quite  certain  it  must  have  been 
built  by  a  far  more  energetic  people  than  either  the  Base  or  the 
Beni-Amers  are  at  the  present  day.  The  inhabitants  of  these 
parts  are  deficient  in  all  but  the  very  simplest  agricultural  im- 
plements ;  spades  are  unknown  ;  and,  when  they  want  to  dig 
holes  for  wells,  they  do  so  with  their  hands  alone. 

All  day  long,  women  were  engaged  in  filling  their  baskets  at 
the  well,  and  climbing,  with  them  on  their  backs,  up  to  the 
village  of  Sogada,  which  was  a  good  large  one,'  and  built,  as 
usual,  on  a  hill.  It  is  astonishing  what  a  weight  of  water  these 
women  will  carry.     Little  boys  and  girls  sometimes  do  the 


A  MIXED  MARRIAGE. 


water-carrying,  but  no  men  ever  demean  themselves  by  such 
employment. 

The  people  of  tne  village  were  at  first  afraid  to  come  down  to 
see  us  ;  but  the  she'ik  sent  some  of  his  horsemen  to  them,  who 
brought  back  the  vihage  sheik  and  some  of  his  followers  to 
interview  us.  They  were  very  like  the  other  Base  we  had  seen. 
The  sheik  had  married  his  ow^n  sister,  and  had  several  children 
by  her.  This  is  very  common  in  the  country,  and  thought 
nothing  of.  They  were  very  curious,  wanting  to  know  what 
could  possibly  have  induced  \\t  to  visit  them.  They  said  no 
travellers  had  ever  passed  that  way  before.  I  have  no  doubt 
that  such  was  the  case ;  and  the  Haikota  people  confirmed  them 
in  it,  declaring  that  no  Europeans  had  ever  been  to  Sogada 
before. 

The  country  was  very  wretched,  hilly,  and  covered  with 
kitiar-hwsh.QS  ;  nevertheless,  a  good  deal  of  dliiirra  was  grown 
near  the  village,  far  more  than  up  the  Mareb,  where  there  was 
very  little  appearance  of  any  attempt  at  cultivation. 

Sheik  Achmed  left  us  the  following  day,  but  not  before  he 
had  induced  us  to  take  three  Base  horsemen  from  Sogada.  He 
declared, — and  there  seemed  to  be  sense  in  his  argument, — 
that  they  would  be  able  to  make  things  easier  for  us  with  the 
Base  on  the  Settite,  and  help  us  to  procure  a  fresh  supply  of 
dhtirra.  The  dJmrra  was  a  constant  source  of  worry  wherever 
we  went,  it  being  generally  very  scarce,  and  the  people  most 
unwilling  to  part  with  it,  even  when  well  paid  for  doing  so. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


The  Road  to  the  Settite.  —  The  Everlasting  Forest.  —  Sheik  Achmed's  Deception. 
—  Fishing  in  the  Settite.  —  The  Camp  moves  on.  —  The  Guides  and  Camel- 
Drivers  refuse  to  proceed.  —  The  Return  to  Khor  Meheteb.  —  Adventure  with 
a  Crocodile.  —  A  Scare. 

An  hour  on  horseback,  after  leaving  Sogada,  we  found  water 
in  a  kJior,  which  we  were  obliged  to  cross  ;  and  in  another 
three-and-a-half  hours,  we  reached  a  second  kJior,  called  Bash- 
akurrah,  where  there  was  more  water,  and  where  we  remained 
until  the  caravan  had  overtaken  us,  which  it  did  at  about  half- 
past  four.  It  had  been  greatly  delayed  by  trees  and  by  fre- 
quent small  kJiors,  which  the  camels  had  been  compelled  to 
cross.  There  was  often  not  the  semblance  of  a  path  ;  and,  if 
there  was  any,  it  was  the  merest  apology  for  one. 

In  travelling  through  this  country,  one  or  two  uilmi  invariably 
led  the  way  on  foot,  with  hatchets,  with  which  they  cut  down 
bushes,  and  lopped  off  branches  of  trees,  to  enable  the  camels 
to  pass.  It  was  often  necessary,  too,  to  make  rough  steps  with 
a  pick,  by  which  they  could  go  up  and  down  the  banks,  when 
obliged  to  cross  a  kJior.  All  this,  of  course,  took  a  good  deal 
of  time  ;  and  occasionally,  too,  a  camel  would  fall  down,  or  a 
box  get  displaced  ;  and  the  delay  so  caused  would  keep  the 
whole  string  of  camels  waiting.  When  the  caravan  arrived  at 
Bashakurrah,  the  men  all  wanted  to  stop  for  the  night ;  but  we 
were  most  anxious  to  get  on,  and  lose  no  time,  so  we  com- 
pelled them  to  fill  up  the  water-skins  and  barrels,  and  proceed 
,58 


AN  ENDLESS  FOREST. 


159 


on  their  journey.  They  told  us,  that,  by  stopping  there,  we 
could  fill  up  with  water  the  next  morning,  make  a  long  march, 
and  encamp  at  sunset ;  and  that  on  the  following  day  we  should 
reach  the  Settite  before  noon.  We  thought,  however,  that  by 
going  on  a  little  farther  we  might  reach  the  river  by  the  follow- 
ing night.  We  sent  all,  except  the  water-camels,  on  ahead  ; 
and  ourselves  remained  behind,  to  sec  that  they  took  plenty 
of  water.  We  lost  our  way  in  the  darkness  which  overtook  us 
long  before  we  reached  the  camp ;  and  we  did  not  get  our 
dinner  until  after  midnight  —  every  one  decidedly  cross. 

A  more  monotonous  journey  than  the  one  we  made  on  the 
following  day,  I  never  performed.  The  country  became  less 
and  less  mountainous,  with  occasional  patches  covered  with 
kittar-h\\s\\kts,  all,  of  course,  leafless,  and  great  grass-plains. 
For  miles  we  travelled  through  a  thick  forest  of  leafless  trees 
covered  with  thorns,  and  which  we  thought  would  never  termi- 
nate ;  the  trees  were  only  twelve  or  eighteen  feet  high,  and 
grew  so  thickly  that  we  could  see  only  a  very  short  distance  in 
front  of  us.  It  was  more  irksome  than  the  most  tedious 
desert,  for  there  there  is  usually  something,  some  hill,  or  speck 
on  the  horizon,  to  look  forward  to  arriving  at ;  but  here  there 
was  no  object  to  fix  one's  eyes  upon,  and  to  watch  the  distance 
gradually  lessening.  It  was,  moreover,  impossible  to  say  how 
long  we  should  be  in  getting  through  this  forest  ;  there  was 
the  merest  apology  for  a  path,  which  we  frequently  lost  for 
some  time,  and  the  hatchets  were  in  constant  requisition  to 
fell  branches  in  order  to  allow  the  camels  to  pass. 

Sheik  Achmed  had  kept  his  promise  in  giving  us  guides  to 
explore  the  Mareb  ;  and  we  had  had  no  reason  to  doubt  his  word, 
when  he  had  assured  us  we  should  visit  the  country  on  the  Set- 
tite, east  of  Khor  Meheteb.  We  soon  found,  however,  that  this 
time  he  was  deceiving  us,  and  had  no  idea  of  our  going  there. 


i6o 


SBEIK  ACHMED'S  DUPLICITY. 


On  the  morning  of  the  day  that  we  reached  the  river,  my 
brother  William  with  Mahomet  Salee  went  up  a  small  hill  that 
we  were  passing,  in  order  to  fix  positions  for  the  map  he  was 
making,  and  which  accompanies  this  volume.  From  the  top  of 
the  hill,  Salee  pointed  out  to  him  the  position  of  Khor  Meheteb 
and  the  Settite.  Salee  recommended  our  encamping  on  the 
former  for  the  night,  about  two  hours  from  where  it  joins  the 
river.  He  told  us  that  there  was  water  in  the  kJioi',  near  which 
he  proposed  that  we  should  halt,  and  that  animals  frequently 
went  there  to  drink.  We  decided  to  act  on  his  advice,  as  we 
thought  it  would  shorten  what  would  otherwise  be  a  very  long 
day's  journey  ;  and  moreover,  the  moon  being  nearly  full,  it 
seemed  to  us  that  it  would  be  worth  while  to  watch  the  water 
on  the  chance  of  game. 

At  about  four  or  five  o'clock  my  brother  ascended  another 
small  hill,  with  the  same  object  in.  view  ;  and  discovered  that 
we  were  leaving  Khor  Meheteb  a  long  way  on  our  left,  and 
bearing  west  in  the  direction  of  the  Hamrans. 

We  saw  at  once  how  we  were  being  deceived,  and  were  natu- 
rally very  angry  and  disappointed.  On  taxing  Mahomet  Salee 
with  his  duplicity,  he  urged  in  excuse,  that  at  Sogada  the  camel- 
drivers  and  servants  generally  had  deckired  they  would  not  go 
farther  east  than  Khor  Meheteb  ;  and  that  Sheik  Achmed  had 
told  him  to  take  us  to  the  Hamrans,  and  to  try  and  make  the 
best  of  it  to  us.  There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  go  on  to  the 
river  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  see  what  was  to  be  done  when 
we  got  there,  and  to  accept  the  situation  as  one  of  the  inevita- 
ble drawbacks  of  African  travel.  We  did  not  reach  the  Settite 
until  ten  o'clock,  all  in  the  worst  of  tempers,  and  having  begun 
to  fear  that  we  had  lost  our  way,  and  should  be  obliged  to  spend 
the  night  without  water. 

Our  water-barrels  having  been  empty  since  midday,  all  were 


THE  RIVER!  THE  RIVER! 


I6l 


parched  with  thirst,  and  we  felt  our  poor  ponies  panting  be- 
neath us.  At  the  sight  of  the  river  gUstening  in  the  moon- 
light, all  our  troubles  were  forgotten  ;  and  man  and  beast, 
regardless  of  crocodiles,  plunged  into  the  water,  and  slaked 
their  parched  throats  with  the  tepid  nectar  of  the  glorious 
river. 

We  struck  the  river  at  a  place  called  Geebou ;  it  was  broader 
here  than  we  had  expected  to  find  it,  and  there  was  a  splendid 
pool  in  front  of  us,  fully  a  mile  long,  and  in  parts  very  deep. 
The  bank  upon  which  we  pitched  the  tents  was  some  twenty 
feet  above  the  water.  The  country  looked  exceptionally 
wretched.  A  fringe  of  green  trees  bordered  either  bank  of 
the  river,  beyond  which  the  ground  was  bare,  with  no  grass, 
and  leafless  trees.  We  were  delighted,  however,  to  be  on  a 
real  flowing  river,  the  water  of  which  was  very  clear,  and  full 
of  fish ;  and  we  determined  to  spend  a  day  where  we  were, 
before  deciding  what  was  to  be  done  next. 

The  first  thing  next  morning  we  launched  the  Berthon  boat, 
which  had  not  suffered  at  all  from  its  long  journey.  Colvin 
and  Lort  Phillips  got  out  their  fishing-tackle,  and  in  a  short 
time  secured  two  fish  of  four  and  seven  pounds  with  the  spin- 
ning bait,  and  one  of  four  pounds  with  a  salmon-fly ;  they  were 
clean,  nice-looking  fish,  and  we  found  them  very  good  eating. 
There  were  a  good  many  birds  about  the  river,  Egyptian  geese, 
marabou  storks,  and  various  waders,  among  which  we  noticed 
the  sacred  ibis,  which  we  were  much  interested  to  see ;  and  we 
were  not  long  in  adding  geese  to  our  bill  of  fare. 

We  had  brought  with  us  a  large  seine  fishing-net,  of  a  kind 
we  had  used  most  successfully  before  on  the  Settite ;  and  in 
the  afternoon  we  determined  to  give  it  a  trial.  We  thought  we 
had  found  an  excellent  place  for  it,  but  unfortunately  we  could 
not  walk  along  the  bank  in  order  to  draw  it  at  a  spot  where 


l62 


SEINE-NET  EISHING. 


some  tamarisk-trees  overhung  the  water,  and  where  it  was  very 
deep.  We  were  determined,  however,  to  have  a  try  somewhere 
else,  as  we  had  got  it  out,  and  had  experienced  considerable 
difficulty  in  getting  enough  men  together  to  help  us  to  draw 
it.  This  net  was  eighty  yards  long,  and  three  deep,  with  a  large 
pocket  in  the  middle.  To  be  thoroughly  successful  with  it,  it 
was  necessary  to  find  a  place  tolerably  free  from  rocks,  and 
where  it  could  be  drawn  up  in  shallow  water.  Although  the 
Settite  was  flowing,  there  were  many  such  places,  as  in  some 
parts  the  water  was  not  more  than  a  few  inches  deep.  Our 
first  haul,  notwithstanding  that  it  was  in  a  most  unfavourable 
place,  was  not  a  blank  ;  for  we  secured  twenty-five  fish,  weighing 
altogether  eighty-six  pounds,  the  heaviest  being  seven  pounds. 

The  next  day  we  sent  Mahomet  Salee  off  to  a  Hamran 
village  called  Korkee,  with  five  camels,  to  purchase  dhurray 
having  been  told  that  plenty  was  to  be  had  from  the  Base 
living  on  the  river  farther  eastward ;  but,  when  it  came  to  the 
point  of  fetching  it,  Mahomet  Salee  declared  that  none  was  to 
be  got  there.  It  was  too  evident  that  we  had  been  grossly 
deceived.  We  also  sent  two  of  the  Base  horsemen  to  a  Base 
village  called  Lacatecourah,  cast  of  us  and  back  from  the  Settite. 
They  declared  they  would  summon  some  sheiks  who  would 
arrange  for  us  to  go  farther.  We  did  not  much  believe  in  their 
promises,  but  thought  they  were  better  away,  possibly  doing 
some  good,  than  hanging  about  our  camp  doing  nothing,  and 
cansuming  our  dJnirra. 

The  country  swarmed  with  Hamrans,  and  people  from  Hai- 
kota  ;  there  was  a  large  encampment  of  the  latter  on  Khor 
Meheteb.  Some  of  the  Hamrans  had  rifles,  given  to  them 
mostly  by  the  professional  animal-traders,  generally  Germans, 
who  go  to  that  country  to  get  live  animals  with  which  to  supply 
zoological  societies  and  menageries.    Sir  Samuel  Baker,  who 


UP  THE  RIVER. 


visited  the  country  iu  i86i,  has  described  the  manner  in  which 
the  Hamrans  kill  the  largest  animals,  by  hamstringing  them 
with  a  single  stroke  of  their  swords.  I  never  saw  this  done, 
and  fancy,  as  the  game  has  decreased,  these  Hamran  Nimrods 
have  decreased  too.  Those  we  saw  obtained  most  of  their 
game  by  means  of  traps,  some  of  which  are  very  ingenious  in- 
ventions. They  frequently  kill  hippopotami  by  means  of 
harpoons,  and  the  men  who  procure  them  in  this  way  are  called 
haivartis.  These  animals  are  very  scarce  now  in  this  part  of 
the  Settite  ;  when  I  visited  the  river  in  1878,  they  were  numer- 
ous in  places  where  they  are  now  almost  extinct.  The  day  be- 
fore we  arrived,  one  had  been  wounded  in  the  pool  above  our 
encampment ;  but  he  had  disappeared  during  the  night,  and 
had  probably  gone  higher  up  the  river. 

As  soon  as  we  had  sent  the  men  on  their  various  errands,  we 
started  farther  up  the  river,  and  passed  the  place  where  Khor 
Meheteb  joins  the  Settite  ;  at  this  point  we  cut  off  a  great  bend 
in  the  river,  and  crossed  it  at  a  ford,  having  gone  about  two 
miles  across  country.  Here  we  had  an  altercation  with  our 
men,  who  wanted  to  stop  ;  but  we  insisted  on  continuing  the 
journey,  and,  after  cutting  off  another  great  bend  about  four 
miles  farther  on,  struck  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  and  en- 
camped. 

Nothing  could  be  more  desolate  than  the  appearance  of  the 
country  at  this  point  :  it  was  more  mountainous  than  lower 
down  the  river ;  but  there  was  scarcely  a  vestige  of  green  to 
be  seen,  and  the  river  was  narrower,  and  its  bed  very  rocky. 
In  one  part  it  forced  its  way  between  great  basalt  rocks  for  a 
mile  or  two,  the  water  being  very  deep,  and  it  being  impossible 
to  get  to  the  edge  of  it,  as  the  rocks  rose  sheer  out  of  the 
water  on  either  side.  We  saw  the  footprints  of  buffaloes  and 
hippopotami. 


164 


DISAPPOINTED  EXPECTATIONS. 


In  spite  of  the  desolate  appearance  of  the  country,  the  view 
from  the  point  we  had  chosen  for  our  camp  was  decidedly  pic- 
turesque. We  were  on  a  small  hill  a  long  way  above  the  river, 
which  we  could  see,  winding  in  and  out,  a  silver  streak  among 
the  black  rocks,  for  a  long  way  in  the  direction  of  Abyssinia. 

The  most  conspicuous  object  in  the  distance  was  an  immense 
mountain,  called  Bokutan,  which  the  natives  asserted  was  in 
Abyssinia.  It  appeared  to  be  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  off,  at 
least,  and  was  table-shaped  ;  it  was  marked,  on  a  map  we  had 
with  us,  as  five  thousand  feet  high. 

In  the  evening  we  were  treated  to  another  deputation  of 
guides  and  camel-drivers,  now  quite  a  common  occurrence,  and 
almost  as  much  to  be  expected  as  the  setting  of  the  sun.  They 
all  declared  that  they  dare  go  no  farther,  and  that  we  were  then 
encamped  farther  in  an  eastward  direction  than  we  ought  to  be. 
They  said  that  there  were  no  Base  living  on  the  river,  the 
Abyssinians  having  driven  them  all  away  into  the  mountains, 
taken  their  cattle,  and  burnt  the  country.  The  country  had 
certainly  been  lately  burnt,  as  the  whole  surface  of  the  ground 
was  covered  with  the  ashes  of  grass.  Between  our  camp  and 
Bokutan  there  was  a  hill ;  and  between  that  hill  and  the  moun- 
tain, according  to  these  veracious  guides,  there  was  an  Abys- 
sinian village,  which  they  dared  not  approach,  as  the  Haikota 
people  had  killed  two  of  their  sheiks.  All  this  we  were  told, 
after  having  been  informed  at  Haikota  that  there  were  plenty 
of  Base  villages  along  the  river,  the  names  of  many  of  them 
having  been  given  to  us ;  and  that  the  people  were  peaceably 
disposed,  possessing  flocks  and  herds  and  . fields  of  dJiurra.  We 
had  a  long  talk  with  the  men,  and  could  plainly  see  that  they 
were  not  to  be  induced  to  go  farther,  and  knew  nothing  of  the 
country  beyond.  It  was  most  provoking ;  because,  if  we  had 
known  we  could  not  go,  we  should  have  spent  our  time  on  the 


DIFFICULTIES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  ABYSSINIA,      1 65 


Gash,  without  going  so  far  south.  That  there  were  people 
about,  was  evident,  as  we  saw  several  large  fires  to  the  east- 
ward. The  majority  were  for  retracing  our  footsteps  to  Khor 
Meheteb,  which  was  a  far  pleasantcr-looking  place  to  encamp  in 
than  where  we  then  were ;  and  so  accordingly,  though  with 
many  regrets,  we  moved  there  the  next  day. 

As  far  as  Abyssinia  is  concerned,  it  would  be  very  difficult 
to  get  into  the  country  from  that  part  of  the  Soudan.  There 
is  not  much  difficulty  for  Europeans  wishing  to  travel  there ; 
but  they  must  first  get  proper  passes  from  the  king,  and  these 
can  only  be  obtained  by  waiting  for  some  time.  The  best  way 
to  get  into  the  country  is  from  Massawa  ;  and  the  safest  plan 
to  insure  one's  self  against  delay  is  to  get  some  one  to  send  a 
messenger  a  good  long  time  before  the  traveller  intends  landing 
there,  to  get  the  needful  letters  from  the  king.  A  European, 
attempting  to  travel  there  without  the  requisite  permission, 
would  invariably  find  himself  either  turned  back,  or,  more  prob- 
ably, kept  a  prisoner  until  the  king  heard  of  it,  and  chose  to 
set  him  at  liberty.  Mules  must  be  used  for  this  journey,  as 
the  roads  are  impassable  for  camels. 

^hether  there  were  Base,  or  not,  living  on  the  banks  of  the 
Settite,  to  the  east  of  the  farthest  point  we  reached,  I  am  sure 
we  could  have  gone  a  good  long  way  before  coming  upon  any 
Abyssinian  villages.  Old  Ali,  our  cook,  was  greatly  excited  at 
the  thought  of  going  any  farther  in  the  direction  of  Abyssinia ; 
as,  a  few  years  previously,  he  and  two  English  gentlemen,  with 
whom  he  was  travelling  in  that  country,  and  who  had  not  ob- 
tained the. necessary  permission  from  the  king,  were  kept  pris- 
oners for  a  long  time,  and,  during  that  time,  lived  on  anything 
but  the  fat  of  the  land. 

I  walked  all  the  way  back  to  Khor  Meheteb,  and  a  roasting- 
hot  walk  I  found  it.    Arthur  went  part  of  the  way  with  me, 


1 66  ADVENTURE   WITH  A  CROCODILE. 


and  we  kept  a  sharp  lookout  for  hippopotami ;  there  were  the 
fresh  tracks  of  three  having  been  there,  but  we  saw  none. 
Fish,  many  of  them  of  large  size,  were  in  shoals  ;  the  water 
was  so  clear  that  we  could  see  them  very  plainly.  We  kept  as 
near  the  water's  edge  as  we  could,  and  it  was  a  case  of  scram- 
bling over  the  rocks  almost  the  whole  way ;  in  many  places 
these  rose  perpendicularly  from  the  water  to  a  height  of  a 
hundred  to  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet. 

I  had  an  extraordinary  adventure  with  a  crocodile  during  my 
walk,  which  might  have  terminated  rather  unpleasantly  for 
me.  Our  experience  had  always  been,  that  crocodiles  were 
among  the  shyest  animals  that  one  meets  with  in  Africa,  the 
large  ones  more  particularly  so.  Of  course  no  one  would  ever 
think  of  going  into  deep  water  where  these  animals  are  numer 
ous,  as  I  believe  they  are  anything  but  afraid  of  man  when 
they  encounter  him  in  their  native  element ;  and  one  not  un- 
frequently  hears  of  Arabs  being  carried  off  by  them,  when 
attempting  to  swim  across  rivers.  We  had,  however,  never 
hesitated  to  approach  the  banks  of  a  river,  even  when  they 
shelved  off  into  deep  water.  On  this  occasion  we  had  gone 
down  to  the  river  to  drink  at  a  place  where  the  water  was  very 
deep ;  and  I  was  stooping  down,  drinking  out  of  the  palm  of  my 
hand,  when  Arthur  suddenly  gave  me  a  vigorous  pull  back.  A 
very  large  crocodile,  with  a  huge  head,  was  making  for  me,  and 
was  within  two  feet  of  where  I  was  standing,  when  Arthur 
perceived  it.  As  soon  as  I  jumped  back,  the  crocodile  turned 
tail,  and  made  for  the  middle  of  the  river.  An  Arab  boy,  who 
was  holding  our  rifles  while  we  drank,  was  so  much  astonished 
that  he  stood  open-mouthed,  and  was  so  awkward  that  neither 
of  us  could  snatch  a  rifle  quick  enough  from  him  to  get  a  shot 
before  the  monster  sank  and  disappeared. 

Probably,  if  my  brother  had  not  seen  the  crocodile  when  he 


A  FALSE  ALARM. 


did,  it  would  have  tried  to  knock  me  into  the  river  with  its 
tail ;  it  had,  no  doubt,  heard  us  drinking,  and  had  popped  round 
from  behind  a  rock.  Sir  Samuel  Baker  says  in  his  book  "  The 
Nile  Tributaries  of  Abyssinia,"  that  the  crocodiles  on  the  Set- 
tite  are  noted  for  their  daring.  This  was  certainly  an  instance 
of  the  truth  of  his  remark. 

During  our  walk  we  came  across  the  evidence  of  hippo- 
potami having  been  lately  killed.  In  one  place  there  had  evi- 
dently been  an  encampment  of  Arabs,  and  close  by  a  quantity 
of  hide  had  been  left.  The  place  had  no  doubt  been  abandoned 
in  a  great  hurry,  otherwise  such  a  valuable  article  as  hippopota- 
mus-hide would  never  have  been  left  behind ;  it  was  quite 
fresh,  and  cut  in  strips  for  the  manufacture  of  whips.  A  quan- 
tity of  rope,  too,  was  lying  near  it,  and  had  doubtless  been 
used  for  pulling  the  animal  on  to  the  bank.  Our  men's  nerves 
were  worked  up  to  a  great  pitch  of  excitement,  and  I  believe 
they  imagined  all  kind  of  dreadful  things  were  likely  to  happen. 

When  the  others  joined  us  in  the  evening  at  the  place 
where  we  had  decided  upon  making  a  camp,  they  told  us  of  a 
most  amusing  scare  they  had  had,  just  as  they  were  engaged 
in  striking  the  tents.  One  of  our  camel-drivers,  an  old  Shuk- 
reeyeh,  had  come  running  into  camp  in  a  state  of  terrible  ex- 
citement, declaring  that  he  had  seen  a  large  body  of  Abyssin- 
ians  on  horseback,  and  armed  with  guns  and  spears,  approaching 
us  from  the  direction  of  Abyssinia.  There  was  an  immediate 
call  to  arms,  and  a  general  scurrying  for  rifles,  cartridges,  and 
spears.  Very  soon,  however,  it  was  discovered  that  the  whole 
thing  existed  merely  in  the  old  fellow's  imagination,  as  there 
was  not  the  least  sign  of  a  human  being  in  sight  other  than 
those  belonging  to  our  own  party ;  and  the  whole  thing  ended 
in  a  laugh,  and  an  excited  war-dance  by  our  natives. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


Encampment  at  Khor  Meheteb.  —  Good  Fishing.  —  The  Kelb-el-bahr.  —  Capture 
of  a  Baggar.  —  A  Visit  from  Basd  of  Lacatecourah.  —  Tracking  Buffaloes.  — 
Arab  Escort  sent  back  to  Haikota.  —  Baboons.  —  Exciting  Night  among  the 
Buffaloes. 

We  selected  a  lovely  spot  for  our  camp,  very  near  the  junc- 
tion of  Khor  Meheteb  with  the  Settite,  on  rising  ground  high 
above  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  affording  an  extensive  view, 
and  backed  by  a  fringe  of  fine  trees,  interlaced  by  a  network 
of  parasitic  creepers,  which  gave  us  the  much-wished-f or  shade ; 
and  at  night,  when  the  moon  shone,  the  boxes  ranged  along 
the  bank  in  front  of  the  tents  presented  quite  the  appearance-  of 
the  wall  of  a  terrace.  Away  from  the  river,  on  either  bank,  the 
country  was  wretched,  —  miserable  leafless  trees,  and  patches 
of  dry  yellow  grass,  very  short,  and  having  the  appearance  of 
sandy  mounds. 

We  remained  at  this  camp  from  the  5th  to  the  13th  of  March, 
and  had  better  sport  there  than  we  had  expected  to  find. 
With  the  fish  we  were  very  successful,  both  with  the  net  and 
rod ;  though  we  never  caught  any  of  phenomenal  size,  the 
largest  being  thirty-five  pounds.  I  have  little  doubt,  however, 
that  they  run  much  higher ;  but  during  neither  of  my  visits  to 
the  Settite  has  it  been  my  fortune  to  see  any  larger  ones.  We 
had  several  hauls  with  the  net,  one  day  catching  sixty-eight 
fish,  their  total  weight  being  2o6\  pounds,  and  the  largest  fish 
seven  pounds.    Another  day  we  obtained  a  hundred  and  four- 

J6§ 


GOOD  FISHING. 


169 


teen,  weighing  365^  pounds,  the  largest  being  eight  and  ten 
pounds  ;  these  were  all  caught  in  two  draws.  We  did  not  use 
the  net  nearly  as  often  as  we  had  hoped  to  do  when  we  left 
England,  because  we  spent  much  less  time  on  a  river  than  we 
had  expected.  It  was  really  hard  work  pulling  it.  We  always 
drew  it  ourselves,  but  of  course  required  a  number  of  men  to 
help.  They  were  all  fond  enough  of  getting  the  fish  to  eat,  but 
we  always  found  them  very  loath  to  assist  us  in  working  the 
net. 

The  boat  was  of  great  assistance  to  us  on  these  occasions,  in 
paying  out  the  net,  and  taking  the  rope  across.  The  last  part 
was  always  most  exciting ;  the  fish,  finding  themselves  getting 
into  shallow  water,  would  frequently  leap  over  the  net,  even 
when  it  was  held  three  or  four  feet  above  the  surface  of  the 
water.  The  natives  then  required  careful  looking  after  ;  and  we 
used  to  scream  ourselves  hoarse  in  endeavouring  to  give  them 
directions,  as  they  would  drop  the  net  to  pursue  a  single  fish  if 
they  saw  one  escaping  in  the  shallows,  and  so  neglect  looking 
after  all  the  others.  Sometimes  a  snag  in  the  river  would  com- 
pletely spoil  what  would  otherwise  have  been  a  capital  haul ; 
as,  in  freeing  the  net  from  the  obstruction,  most  of  the  fish 
would  escape.  By  far  the  best  fishing  we  obtained  during  the 
winter  was  at  the  junction  of  Khor  Meheteb  with  the  Settite. 
Here  the  river  is  dammed  by  huge  rocks,  and  forms  a  deep 
pool  about  two  miles  in  length. 

On  the  evening  of  our  arrival,  Colvin  went  down  to  try  his 
luck,  taking  with  him  some  tackle  that  had  already  made  the 
journey  to  Australia,  and  had  not  been  improved  by  the 
voyage.  About  the  first  cast  he  had  a  run  ;  but  after  a  short 
struggle  the  fish  went  off,  taking  with  it  the  bait,  a  good-sized 
spoon.  He  put  on  another,  and  another,  always  with  the  same 
result ;  and  then,  thinking  he  would  try  some  we  had  brought 


I70 


"  KELB-EL-BAHRr 


from  England,  was  more  successful,  and  bagged  a  fine  kelb- 
cl-lhi/ir,"'  weighing  over  ten  pounds,  with  a  spoon-bait.  Colvin, 
standing  on  a  high  rock,  continued  fishing  most  successfully, 
fish  after  fish  rushing  at  the  novel  bait,  almost  as  soon  as  it 
touched  the  water ;  but  he  was  frequently  startled  by  a  loud 
splash  and  clang,  as  one  of  the  recently  hooked  fish,  that  had 
broken  his  tackle,  leaped  out  of  the  water,  and  flapped  its  head 
ao-ainst  the  rock,  in  futile  endeavours  to  rid  itself  of  the  ob- 
noxious  metal  bait. 

The  kclb-cl-baJir''  is  a  most  ferocious  fish,  somewhat 
resembling  a  salmon  in  appearance,  having  a  moveable  upper 
jaw,  and  frightful  teeth  that  fit  into  one  another  like  those  of 
a  rat-trap.  It  usually  lurks  about  where  shallow  water  is  close 
to  deep,  on  the  look-out  for  victims  who  seem  to  know  their 
danger,  and  will  rarely  venture  into  deep  water.  Often,  when 
fording  these  shallows,  we  have  frightened  a  shoal  of  roach-like 
fish  down  stream  and  into  deep  water.  In  a  minute  there 
would  be  a  rush  and  a  splash  ;  and  by  the  gleam  of  loose  scales 
on  the  water,  it  was  evident  that  master  kelb  "  had  not  let  so 
good  a  chance  escape  him.  This  was  a  most  sporting  fish, 
always  fighting  to  the  last  gasp,  very  much  after  the  manner 
of  a  salmon.  One  caught  in  the  net  bit  IMahoom  in  the  ankle, 
causing  a  very  painful  sore. 

But  it  was  the  baggnr  (of  which  mention  is  made  by  Sir 
Samuel  Baker),  that  gave  us  most  sport.  It  is  a  true  perch, 
lacking  only  the  zebra-like  bands  of  that  fish  ;  its  scales  are  as 
silvery  as  fresh-run  salmon,  and  it  has  ruby  eyes  like  those  of 
a  white  rabbit  or  ferret.  It  loves  deep,  running  water  ;  and  it 
was  at  the  outlet  of  the  above-mentioned  pool,  that  we  found 
them  most  plentiful.  They  did  not  seem  to  care  much  for  the 
spoon  or  phantom-minnow,  so  we  tried  to  get  some  live  bait. 
This  at  first  seemed  almost  impossible,  as  no  one  knew  how 


A  TWj^NTY-POUR  pound  ''BAGGAkr 


171 


to  throw  the  casting-net ;  and  the  meshes  of  the  big  one  were, 
of  course,  far  too  large  to  hold  those  of  a  suitable  size  for  our 
purpose. 

Lort  Phillips  hit  upon  a  j^lan,  however,  which  proved  most 
successful.  He  noticed  that  a  species  of  gudgeon  frequented 
the  large  stones  in  the  shallows,  much  in  the  manner  that  trout 
do  at  home  ;  but  unlike  them  they  refused  to  be  tickled.  He 
got  some  large  flat  stones,  which  he  placed  in  the  water,  sup- 
porting them  on  smaller  ones,  to  make  a  good  covert  into  which 
the  fish  ran  when  frightened  ;  he  then,  with  the  help  of  Ma- 
hoom,  dropped  the  casting-net  over  the  top,  and  all  that  hap- 
pened to  be  underneath  were  secured.  With  a  supply  of  live 
bait,  we  were  always  sure  of  sport ;  no  sooner  had  the  float 
rounded  the  corner  of  a  big  rock  in  the  middle  of  the  stream, 
than  it  would  disappear  as  if  it  had  been  a  stone  ;  then  came 
a  rush,  and  generally  a  clean  jump  or  two,  like  that  of  a  spring 
salmon. 

One  morning,  as  Lort  Phillips  and  I  were  going  out  shoot- 
ing, we  saw  Colvin  at  the  old  place,  gesticulating  wildly ;  and, 
on  going  to  see  what  was  up,  found  he  had  hooked  a  big  fish, 
and  wanted  some  one  to  gaff  it  for  him.  After  some  time  it 
came  to  the  surface,  and  in  one  of  its  struggles  disgorged  its 
breakfast  in  the  shape  of  a  partly  digested  fish,  weighing  a 
pound  and  a  half ;  it  proved  to  be  a  magnificent  baggai',  over 
twenty-two  pounds  in  weight.  This  was  the  largest  fish  that 
had  been  caught  so  far ;  but  the  same  evening,  on  our  return, 
Lort  Phillips  caught  one  weighing  twenty-four  pounds.  It  is 
by  far  the  best  eating  of  any  of  the  Settite  fish  ;  in  fact,  it 
would  be  hard  to  beat  it  anywhere  for  delicacy  of  flavour. 
There  was  another  fish,  a  kind  of  silurian,  of  which  we  caught 
a  great  many ;  it  is  a  very  ugly,  sluggish  brute,  and  gives  little 
or  no  sport ;  it  would  seize  the  bait,  and  bear  straight  away, 


172 


ARRIVAL  OF  BASE, 


taking  out  yards  of  line  often  without  being  hooked.  The 
largest  fish  of  this  species  was  caught  at  Om  Hagar,  and 
weighed  thirty-five  jDounds.  The  fish  we  caught  in  the  net 
were  mostly  bottom-feeders.  I  never  saw  any  in  such  condi- 
tion, their  intestines  being  covered  with  fat.  One  species  only 
took  the  fly,  a  kind  of  barbel  ;  but  its  mouth  was  so  tough  that 
the  hook  never  penetrated  beyond  the  bait,  and  it  was  only 
by  keeping  a  continued  strain  on  the  line  that  we  could  land 
them  at  all. 

I  shot  the  largest  tetel  obtained  during  the  winter,  not  far  from 
Khor  Meheteb ;  it  was  a  bull,  and  the  leader  of  a  small  herd. 

On  the  7th  the  two  Base  we  had  sent  off  to  fetch  some  of 
their  sheiks  arrived  in  camp.  We  had  despatched  them  the 
morning  after  our  arrival  on  the  Settite,  thinking  that  by  so 
doing  we  might  be  enabled  to  go  farther  up  the  river  ;  they 
returned,  bringing  about  twenty  of  their  people  with  them,  who 
they  said  came  from  a  village  called  Lacatecourah,  which  is 
situated  on  a  mountain  we  ought  to  have  taken  on  our  way 
from  Haikota.  We  of  course  found  that  they  could  do  no- 
thing to  aid  us  ;  they  declared  (but  whether  of  their  own  accord, 
or  instigated  by  the  men  we  had  brought  from  Sheik  Achmed 
Ageer,  we  could  not  tell)  that  the  Abyssinians  had  forced  them 
to  abandon  their  villages  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  had 
driven  them  into  the  mountains.  Wc  pretty  well  satisfied  our- 
selves that  the  Base  had  two  villages,  called  Toansar  and  Beer- 
gayla,  situated  on  the  Settite  ;  but  whether  they  were  still 
inhabited  by  Bas6,  or  had  been  destroyed  by  their  enemies  the 
Abyssinians,  we  never  succeeded  in  discovering.  They  stated, 
further,  that  the  Abyssinians  had  only  three  or  four  days  pre- 
viously captured  and  carried  off  three  of  their  women. 

They  brought  the  sheik  of  Lacatecourah  with  them,  an  insig- 
nificant-looking man,  to  whom  we  made  some  trifling  presents, 


BUFFALOES  BAGGED. 


with  which  he  seemed  highly  deUghted.  On  their  way  to  our 
camp,  they  had  passed  the  night  near  to  some  water  in  Khor 
Meheteb  ;  and,  while  resting  there,  a  herd  of  elephants  had  come 
to  drink  about  midnight,  and  buffaloes  had  visited  the  same 
pool  early  that  morning.  My  brothers  and  Colvin  started  off 
with  the  intention  of  spending  the  night  near  the  watering- 
place,  on  the  chance  of  their  returning;  and  about  three  a.m. 
those  of  us  who  had  remained  in  camp  heard  several  shots, 
which  we  hoped  had  been  directed  at  the  elephants.  Unfortu- 
nately, however,  they  saw  nothing  of  them,  but  returned  to 
camp  about  noon,  having  bagged  two  buffaloes,  a  mddrif  {Jiip- 
potragus  Bakirii),  a  tetel,  and  an  ariel. 

They  had  found  the  pool  of  water  about  five  or  six  miles 
from  camp ;  and  two  of  them  had  spent  the  night  on  the  ground 
on  the  bank  above  the  khor,  and  the  other  in  a  large  baobab- 
tree.  During  the  night  a  giraffe  had  come  to  drink,  but  it  was 
before  the  moon  was  up,  and  they  could  see  nothing  of  it.  Then 
a  herd  of  some  twenty  or  thirty  buffaloes  made  their  appear- 
ance, but  unfortunately  there  was  such  a  poor  moon  that  it  was 
difficult  to  take  a  good  aim  ;  one  fell  dead,  however ;  the  rest 
made  off.  As  soon  as  it  was  light,  they  searched  to  see  if 
there  was  any  sign  of  a  blood-track,  as  they  felt  sure  they  must 
have  hit  one  or  two  others ;  and  soon  found  evidence  of  a 
wounded  beast.  Salee,  who  was  with  them,  tracked  the  ani- 
mal a  long  way.  This  man  was  a  most  extraordinary  tracker, 
and  would  follow  wounded  game  for  miles  when  there  was  very 
little  blood  to  be  seen,  and  that  only  at  long  intervals,  and 
where  the  country  was  so  thick,  and  the  ground  so  covered 
with  fallen  leaves,  that  it  was  often  most  difficult  to  find  the 
buffaloes'  footprints.  Frequently,  too,  the  ground  was  very  hard, 
and  covered  with  pebbles,  making  it  extremely  difficult  to  fol- 
low an  animal's  tracks ;  as  the  heaviest  beast  would  leave  so 


174 


A  FRESH  SUPPLY  OF  DHURRA. 


faint  an  impression  as  often  to  be  entirely  invisible  to  the 
uneducated  eye.  They  were  just  on  the  point  of  giving  up  the 
chase,  as  the  sun  was  at  its  height,  and  they  had  been  tracking 
for  five  hours,  when  they  were  suddenly  confronted  by  the 
wounded  buffalo  ;  it  turned  to  charge,  when  one  of  them 
dropped  it  by  a  lucky  shot  in  the  forehead.  When  first  hit,  the 
ball  had  caught  it  in  the  hind-leg,  below  the  fetlock  joint. 

The  mddrif  was  shot  by  my  brother  Arthur,  and  was  the 
first  we  had  seen.  It  proved  to  be  a  small  buck ;  and,  unfortu- 
nately, one  of  the  natives  cut  off  the  head  so  near  the  horns 
that  it  was  spoiled  as  a  trophy.  No  amount  of  exhortation 
would  make  them  careful  in  this  respect  ;  and  sometimes,  when 
an  animal  was  shot,  one  of  them  would  be  off  like  a  deer  after 
it,  and  spoil  its  head  before  you  could  stop  him. 

We  found  the  heat  was  beginning  to  get  very  trying,  even 
the  nights  being  hot ;  but  it  was  an  intensely  dry  heat,  and 
none  of  us  were  at  all  the  worse  for  it. 

On  the  8th  Mahomet  Salee  returned  with  dJinrra,  which  he 
had  obtained  from  a  Hamran  village.  The  next  day  we  sent 
him  back  to  Haikota,  as  well  as  Bayrumphy,  and  the  other  Arabs 
given  us  by  Sheik  Achmed  Ageer ;  for  we  were  determined 
that  he  should  make  no  more  out  of  us  than  we  could  help, 
after  the  manner  in  which  we  had  been  served  by  him.  The 
Base  had  all  returned  to  Lacatecourah  the  previous  day,  with 
the  exception  of  the  three  horsemen  we  had  taken  from  Sogada  ; 
these,  we  said,  might  either  go  or  stay  as  they  pleased,  and  they 
elected  to  remain  with  us.  Very  soon,  however,  they  changed 
their  minds,  persuaded  to  do  so,  I  believe,  by  Mahomet  Salee ; 
for,  after  settling  to  remain  with  us,  we  found,  on  returning  from 
an  afternoon's  shooting,  that  they  had  all  taken  their  depart- 
ure ;  the  following  day,  nevertheless,  one  of  them  returned  by 
himself  to  our  camp. 


A  TROOP  OF  BABOONS. 


As  soon  as  we  had  started  them  off,  Lort  Phillips  and  I 
went  out  with  our  rifles  to  a  small  k/ior  that  ran  into  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  river,  and  where  there  were  some  pools  of 
water.  We  found  that  animals  often  preferred  drinking  at 
these  pools  away  from  the  river,  to  going  to  the  river  itself,  as 
by  so  doing  they  were  less  likely  to  be  disturbed.  We  did 
not  see  much  game.  I  shot  an  oterop,  and  my  companion  a 
buck  nellut  with  the  finest  pair  of  horns  of  any  we  had  bagged 
so  far. 

We  spent  some  time  watching  a  large  troop  of  baboons.  - 
There  were  nearly  two  hundred,  and  one  never  got  tired  of 
watching  them.  A  great  many  of  the  females  carried  young 
ones  on  their  backs  ;  and  a  great  deal  of  screaming,  and  some- 
times fighting,  took  place.  It  was  wonderful  to  see  the  way  in 
which  the  young  ones  kept  their  seats,  as  their  mothers,  to 
whom  they  clung,  were  chased  from  rock  to  rock  and  tree  to 
tree  by  other  baboons,  generally  not  in  anger,  but  for  pure  fun 
and  mischief.  We  seldom  shot  any  of  these  creatures,  as 
none  of  the  natives  would  eat  them ;  we  took  three  or  four 
skins  home,  however,  as  they  make  very  handsome  mats. 

On  our  return  to  camp  we  found  that  my  brothers  and  Colvin 
had  made  another  expedition  up  Khor  Meheteb.  During  the 
night  we  twice  heard  shots  in  camp,  the  air  being  so  still  and 
clear  that  the  report  of  a  rifle  could  be  heard  for  a  long  dis- 
tance ;  and  we  began  to  hope  it  was  really  the  elephants  this 
time,  when  at  about  twelve  o'clock  they  arrived,  bringing  a 
cow  buffalo.  They  had  had  a  most  exciting  night  watching  by 
the  water,  the  first  visitors  to  arrive  being  a  large  herd  of 
buffaloes,  who,  however,  got  their  wind,  and  galloped  off  without 
either  drinking,  or  allowing  themselves  to  be  seen  ;  next  came 
two  bulls,  one  of  which  they  managed  to  send  off  wounded,  and 
heard  bellowing  several  times  during  the  night.    About  day- 


176 


AT  CLOSE  QUARTERS, 


break  a  herd  of  about  thirty  made  their  appearance,  two  of 
which  they  wounded,  but  they  got  away.  Having  fortified 
themselves  with  a  hasty  breakfast,  they  next  saUied  forth  to 
look  for  blood-tracks,  which  they  soon  found,  and,  after  about 
two  hours  tracking,  obtained  a  glimpse  of  a  wounded  beast ; 
it  was  only  a  glimpse,  however,  as,  before  any  of  them  could 
fire,  it  was  off  at  a  gallop.  They  lost  no  time  in  continuing  the 
chase,  and  had  not  gone  far  before  the  infuriated  buffalo 
charged  Arthur  from  behind  a  bush,  where  it  had  stopped  to 
hide. 

Buffaloes  are  very  cunning  animals,  and  frequently  when 
wounded,  or  perceiving  themselves  pursued,  will  retrace  their 
steps,  lie  perdu  behind  some  good  covert,  and  charge  the  sports- 
man as  he  goes  by. 

My  brother  fired  both  barrels,  but  neither  shot  had  the 
desired  effect  of  grassing  the  buffalo,  though  both  hit  it  ;  the 
only  result  being  to  turn  the  attention  of  the  animal  to  Colvin, 
whom  it  charged  furiously,  scarcely  giving  him  time  to  raise 
his  rifle  to  his  shoulder,  his  second  barrel  being  fired  when  the 
animal  was  literally  at  the  muzzle.  Colvin  was  sent  flying  in 
one  direction,  his  rifle  in  the  other,  while  the  buffalo  fell 
between.  This  was  a  narrow  escape,  too  close  to  be  pleasant ; 
but  fortunately  no  harm  was  done  ;  the  buffalo,  though  not 
dead,  being  unable  to  rise,  as  the  shot  had  taken  effect  in  its 
knee. 

They  then  took  up  the  track  of  the  bull  buffalo,  which,  was 
also  wounded,  and  following  it  until  they  found  themselves  not 
far  from  the  camp  gave  it  up,  as  the  heat  was  terrific,  and  they 
were  rather  done  up  after  a  sleepless  night,  and  a  long  walk 
in  the  sun,  with  such  an  exciting  finish.  This  bull,  according 
to  Salee's  reading  of  the  marks  on  the  ground,  had  been 
attacked  by  no  less  than  three  lions ;  they  had  heard  the  roar 


BUFFALO  PURSUED  BY  LIONS. 


177 


of  two  of  them,  at  night,  and  had  seen  the  marks  where  the 
buffalo  had  turned,  and  evidently  charged  his  tormentors  ;  after 
a  time,  two  out  of  these  three  lions  had  discontinued  the  hunt, 
but  the  third  had  held  on  a  long  time  before  also  giving  up. 
Besides  these  buffaloes,  they  discovered  in  the  morning  that  a 
giraffe  had  drunk  at  the  water,  but  they  had  seen  nothing  of  it. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


A  Visit  from  two  Hamran  Sheiks.  —  Fresh  Sport  among  the  Buffaloes.  —  A  She- 
reker.  —  A  Second  Visit  from  Hamran  Sheiks.  —  They  offer  to  guide  us  into 
their  own  Country. — Three  Base  join  the  Camp.  —  They  are  attacked  by  the 
Hamrans.  —  Moosa's  Discharge. 

On  the  nth  two  Hamran  sheiks  arrived  in  camp.  They  were 
most  anxious  that  we  should  take  one  of  their  people  as  a 
guide,  which  we  refused  to  do  ;  they  told  us  that  there  was  far 
less  to  shoot  in  their  country  than  there  had  been  a  few  years 
ago,  and  that  every  year  the  game  was  decreasing.  We  needed 
no  one  to  tell  us  this,  as  it  was  only  too  evident.  There  was  far 
less  game  on  the  Settite  than  there  had  been  when  some  of  us 
had  spent  a  few  days  on  the  river  four  years  previously,  and 
even  then  there  was  nothing  like  as  much  as  there  had  been 
four  or  five  years  before  our  first  visit. 

Our  Hamran  visitors  told  us  that  the  farthest  camp  any 
European  had  made  on  the  river,  entering  from  their  country, 
had  been  a  few  miles  higher  up  than  our  last  camp.  They  said 
they  were  friends  with  the  Abyssinians,  and  that  their  head 
sheik  could  arrange  for  us  to  go  into  Wolkait  by  way  of  Cafta ; 
that,  although  they  were  not  afraid  of  the  Abyssinians  dwelling 
on  the  Settite,  nevertheless  they  did  not  go  very  much  farther 
up  the  river  for  fear  of  the  Base.  The  fact  was,  that  the  Hai- 
kota  people  would  not  go  with  us  any  higher  up  the  river  for 
fear  of  the  Abyssinians,  and  that  the  Hamrans  equally  would 
not  go  for  fear  of  the  Base,  so  that  we  were  checkmated  either 
178 


TRACKING  A   WOUNDED  BUFFALO.  1 79 


way.  I,  moreover,  very  much  doubt  the  ability  of  the  Hamran 
sheik  to  have  made  any  arrangement  for  our  going  to  Wolkait. 

My  brother  Arthur  and  I  started  to  take  up  the  tracks  of 
the  bull  buffalo  that  had  been  wounded  the  previous  day,  taking 
with  us  Achmet,  our  stud  groom,  an  excellent  tracker  (quite  as 
good  as  if  not  better  than  Salee),  who  had  been  present  when 
the  animal  was  wounded,  and  had  helped  to  track  him  for  some 
miles.  He  took  us  straight  to  where  they  had  given  up  pursu- 
ing him  the  day  before,  which  was  not  more  than  half  an  hour's 
walk  from  camp.  After  following  his  footprints  for  about  ten 
minutes,  we  came  to  where  he  had  evidently  passed  the  night, 
and  very  soon  perceived,  by  certain  indisputable  signs,  that  the 
object  of  our  pursuit  was  not  far  off.  Achmet  declared  that 
the  other  bull,  his  companion,  which  had  drunk  with  him  at 
Khor  Meheteb,  had  joined  him  ;  he  could  distinguish  the  tracks 
of  both  animals,  although  the  jungle  was  rather  thick,  and 
the  ground  hard  and  stony.  He,  moreover,  noticed  that  one  of 
them  did  not  stop  to  eat  grass  on  the  way,  but  that  the  other 
frequently  did  so  ;  the  former  he  declared  to  be  the  wounded 
one,  and  he  was  no  doubt  quite  right.  These  little  things 
would  escape  the  notice  of  most  people,  but  Achmet  was  mar- 
vellously quick  and  observant. 

Eventually  we  tracked  the  buffaloes  into  a  thick  clump  of 
dwarf  dJiouin-^2\m^ ;  and  Achmet  felt  sure  he  saw  one  of  them 
through  thfe  bushes,  and  endeavoured  to  point  it  out  to  us.  At 
last  Arthur  saw  a  small  black  patch  in  the  thicket,  which  he 
would  have  been  very  sorry  to  have  sworn  to  being  any  part  of 
a  buffalo.  As  it  was  impossible,  however,  to  go  any  nearer,  so 
as  to  make  further  investigations,  he  fired  at  this  black  patch. 
We  heard  no  crash  after  the  shot,  and  he  fired  twice  again,  with 
no  visible  result.  Achmet  next  ascended  a  tree,  so  as  to  en- 
deavour to  look  over  into  the  bushes  ;  he  was  not  long  in  getting 


i8o 


A  LUCKY  SHOT, 


to  the  top  of  the  tree,  which  was  an  exceedingly  difficult  one  to 
climb,  being  armed  with  numerous  thorns  ;  but  to  his  other  accom- 
plishments, he  added  that  of  being  able  to  climb  like  a  monkey. 

We  soon  heard  a  joyful  shout  from  Achmet,  telling  us  that 
the  buffalo  was  dead.  Before,  however,  venturing  any  nearer 
to  his  vicinity,  we  threw  some  stones  to  see  if  he  would  stir ; 
as  these  animals  will  sometimes  get  on  their  feet,  and  make  a 
last  charge,  when  you  think  they  are  done  for.  As  nothing 
moved,  we  pushed  our  way  through  the  dkoicm-Y>3\ms> ;  there 
we  found  an  enormous  bull  buffalo,  quite  dead.  He  had  been 
standing  with  his  tail  towards  us,  and  was  shot  in  the  back  of 
the  head,  the  ball  lodging  in  the  brain,  death  consequently 
being  instantaneous.  The  report  caused  by  the  first  discharge 
of  the  rifle  had  prevented  our  hearing  him  fall,  and  the  second 
and  third  shots  had  evidently  been  fired  into  space.  He  had 
been  killed  l)y  a  single  ball  in  the  head  ;  and  we  found,  on 
examination,  that  he  was  not  the  bull  that  had  been  wounded 
on  the  previous  day.  In  the  neck  we  found  a  conical  bullet, 
which,  from  its  appearance,  had  been  there  a  long  time,  perhaps 
for  years  ;  the  skin  where  it  had  entered  was  quite  healed  up, 
and  had  left  only  a  small  scar.  Curiously  enough,  my  brother's 
bullet  had  killed  a  camel-bird  at  the  same  time  as  the  buffalo ; 
the  bird  must  have  been  standing  on  the  bull's  head,  searching 
for  ticks. 

We  "piled  arms"  behind  a  tree  some  little  distance  off,  and 
superintended  the  cutting-up  process.  Having  satisfied  our- 
selves as  to  the  bullet  that  had  killed  him,  and  seen  that  the 
head  was  properly  removed,  we  were  making  for  a  shady  tree, 
when  we  heard  a  great  rush,  and  out  bolted  the  other  bull.  He 
must  have  been  standing  not  more  than  fifteen  yards  from  the 
place  where  we  had  been  engaged  in  skinning  his  companion ; 
and  it  was  most  fortunate  for  us,  that  he  had  not  taken  it  into 


ANOTHER  BUFFALO  BAGGED.  l8l 

his  head  to  charge  us  while  doing  so,  for  in  that  case  some  of 
us  might  have  come  off  rather  badly. 

We  were  not  long  in  starting  in  pursuit,  and  soon  caught 
sight  of  him  as  he  went  crashing  through  the  jungle.  I  ran 
forward,  and  fired  a  snap-shot  ;  but  unfortunately,  as  I  have 
already  mentioned,  my  ten-bore  had  got  out  of  order,  so  that 
the  concussion  produced  by  firing  off  the  right-hand  barrel  (and 
that  loaded  with  spherical  ball)  set  off  the  left-hand  one  at  the 
same  time.  My  hat  went  flying  off,  the  recoil  nearly  knocked 
me  backwards,  and  I  was  half  deafened. 

My  brother  had  fired  at  the  same  time  I  did ;  and  one  or  both 
of  us  had  hit  him,  as  there  was  fresh  blood  on  his  tracks.  We 
followed  him  to  some  very  thick  dhoitm-^?\m  covert,  where  we 
could  not  penetrate.  One  of  the  natives  climbed  a  tree,  and 
reported  that  he  saw  the  buffalo  in  the  palms,  and  that  he  was 
badly  wounded,  but  not  dead.  We  did  all  we  could  to  drive 
him  out,  but  he  would  not  move.  Finally  my  brother  climbed 
a  tree  that  overlooked  the  clump  of  stunted  dJioinns  and  grass 
into  which  he  had  betaken  himself,  and  gave  him  the  coiLp-de- 
grdce  from  the  top.  On  examination  it  proved  to  be  the  bull 
that  had  been  wounded  in  the  night ;  the  bullet  had  hit  the 
near  fore-leg.  We  returned  to  camp  in  time  for  luncheon,  with 
the  two  finest  buffalo-heads  that  had  so  far  been  obtained,  and 
well  pleased  with  our  morning's  work. 

At  four  P.M.  the  same  afternoon,  Aylmer,  Lort  Phillips,  and 
I  started  for  the  water  in  Khor  Meheteb,  intending  to  spend 
the  night  there  where  the  others  had  been  so  successful.  The 
nights  had  become  very  hot ;  and  we  slept  in  the  open  air  on 
the  ground,  on  a  slight  eminence  overlooking  the  water.  We 
heard  a  lion  roar  during  the  night,  and  several  noises  we  could 
not  distinguish  ;  but  nothing  came  to  drink,  nor  were  there  any 
signs  that  game  had  been  there  the  previous  night. 


1 82  SHEKEKERS. 

We  found  a  great  many  Beni-Amers  from  Haikota  en- 
camped in  Khor  Meheteb,  who  had  quite  an  encampment  two 
or  three  miles  lower  down  than  where  we  had  spent  the  night. 
They  were  there  chiefly  for  the  purpose  of  entrapping  animals, 
their  mode  of  doing  so  being  the  same  as  that  practised  by 
the  Hamrans.  Most  of  their  game  they  obtain  by  means  of 
snares,  which  they  place  on  the  paths  made  by  animals  on 
their  way  to  drink. 

They  have  a  very  ingenious  invention,  called  sJicrekcr^  to 
prevent  the  noose  from  slipping  off  the  leg  before  it  has  drawn 

tight.  It  is  made  in  the  following 
manner  :  two  hoops  are  bound 
tightly  together,  and,  between  them, 
sharp  pieces  of  tough  wood  are 
driven  all  round,  their  points  just 
reaching  the  centre.  Those  in- 
tended for  catching  antelopes  are 
about  the  size  of  a  soup-plate  ;  but 
for  buffaloes,  giraffes,  and  other 
large-footed  game,  they  are  made  much  larger. 

With  a  supply  of  shcrckcrs,  as  well  as  running-nooses,  these 
latter  made  of  twisted  hide,  the  hunter  is  ready  to  commence 
operations.  Having  found  a  well-beaten  track  near  to  some 
watering-place,  he  digs  a  hole  in  the  middle  of  it,  about  eigh- 
teen inches  deep,  and  a  little  smaller  in  diameter  than  the 
sJicrckcr  he  intends  to  use.  He  next  cuts  a  branch  or  small 
tree,  just  large  enough  to  check  the  progress  of  the  animal,  but 
not  to  stop  it ;  to  this  he  makes  fast  the  loose  end  of  the  noose ; 
then  he  places  the  sJicrckcr  over  the  hole,  and  arranges  the 
noose  over  the  sJicrcker^  brushing  some  loose  earth  over  all  in 
order  to  conceal  the  snare.  Any  animal,  stepping  on  the  pit- 
fall, sinks  down  ;  and,  on  starting  back,  the  shereker  remains 


THREE  LIONS  TRACKED. 


fastened  tight  to  its  leg,  and  prevents  the  noose  from  falHng 
off,  till  it  is  so  tightly  drawn  that  its  aid  is  no  longer  required. 

The  poor  beast  rushes  off,  dragging  the  bush  after  it,  which 
not  only  soon  wearies  it,  but  leaves  behind  a  fatal  track  by 
which  to  guide  the  hunter,  who  soon  overtakes  it ;  and  the 
spear  puts  a  speedy  termination  to  its  sufferings.  The  accom- 
panying engraving  will  give  a  good  idea  of  a  sJiereker. 

On  our  way  back  to  camp  we  came  upon  three  trappers, 
encamped  near  a  small  pool  of  water,  at  which  they  informed 
us  that  a  single  buffalo  had  drunk  the  previous  night.  During 
the  night  they  had  caught  a  giraffe  in  a  noose,  but  it  had 
broken  away  and  got  off.  We  decided  to  follow  the  tracks  of 
the  buffalo  they  told  us  of.  We  had  been  following  them  for 
some  time,  when  Lort  Phillips,  who  was  riding  ahead,  suddenly 
espied  three  lions  to  his  right.  We  lost  no  time  in  running 
after  them ;  but  they  ran  too,  and  the  grass  into  which  they 
ran  was  so  difficult  to  track  them  in.  that  we  had  not  gone 
far  before  we  completely  lost  all  trace  of  them. 

I  rarely  felt  such  terrific  heat,  even  in  Africa ;  and,  after  a 
long  chase,  we  were  obliged  to  give  up,  and  lie  down  for  some 
time  under  the  shade  of  a  tree.  We  seemed  destined  never  to 
shoot  a  lion.  We  often  used  to  track  them,  but  always  found 
their  footprints  led  us  into  impenetrable  jungle.  We  probably 
frequently  passed  close  by  them,  lying  asleep  in  thick  covert, 
without  being  aware  of  their  vicinity.  In  returning  to  camp, 
we  saw  a  mddrif,  but  were  not  fortunate  enough  to  obtain  a 
shot  at  it ;  however,  we  secured  a  tetel  for  the  pot.  We  saw 
immense  numbers  of  these  antelopes,  in  herds  of  from  thirty 
to  fifty,  and  a  fair  number  of  nelhit ;  but  none  with  fine  heads. 

Before  shifting  our  camp  from  Khor  Meheteb,  we  were 
favoured  with  a  second  visit  from  some  Hamrans.  A  sheik 
named  Said,  and  another  sheik,  name  unknown,  made  their 


1 84 


HAMRANS  VISIT  US. 


appearance  one  evening,  arriving,  with  a  number  of  camels, 
from  higher  up  the  river.  They  told  us  they  had  killed  six  or 
seven  hippopotami,  and  offered  to  accompany  us  two  days* 
journey  farther  up.  We  decided,  however,  not  to  retrace  our 
steps.  Had  we  done  so,  they  would,  in  all  probability,  have 
backed  out  of  it  before  we  had  gone  very  far.  I  was  inclined 
to  try  what  we  could  do,  but  the  rest  of  the  party  were  all 
against  attempting  a  retrograde  movement. 

It  is  always  most  difficult  in  such  countries  to  know  what  to 
believe,  and  what  not  to  believe.  Each  person  you  meet  tells 
you  a  different  story,  and  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  get  at  the 
truth.  These  Hamrans  declared  that  there  were  no  people 
living  on  the  river  for  four  or  five  days'  journey  farther  up;  but 
this  was  doubtless  untrue  ;  for,  although  perhaps  there  were 
no  villages  for  some  distance,  there  were  certainly  people  not 
far  off,  as  from  our  last  encampment  we  had  seen  several  fires 
at  different  points.  They  told  us  that  between  Khor  Meheteb 
and  the  Atbara  there  were  scarcely  any  "hippos  "  left,  but  that 
higher  up  the  river  there  were  plenty.  This  may  have  been 
true,  but  wc  were  not  particularly  anxious  to  shoot  them.  As 
only  some  of  our  party  were  in  camp  when  these  Hamrans 
arrived,  we  told  them  to  return  in  the  morning  for  their  answer. 

Soon  after  their  departure,  three  Base  from  Lacatecourah 
made  their  appearance.  It  was  dark  when  they  arrived,  and 
they  begged  to  be  allowed  to  accompany  us.  We  gave  them 
permission  to  do  so,  at  the  same  time  advising  them  not  to  go 
far  away  from  camp  for  fear  of  a  hostile  meeting  with  any  of 
their  enemies,  the  Hamrans. 

Sheik  Said  and  his  friend  returned  the  following  morning  for 
their  answer ;  and  we  told  them  we  had  decided  on  going  down 
the  river,  and  not  up.  Shortly  after  wc  had  made  our  resolu- 
tion known  to  them,  they  left.    Very  soon  after  their  departure, 


HAMRANS  THREATEN  HOSTILITY. 


185 


we  heard  shouts,  and  perceived  that  some  disturbance  was 
froinof  on.  The  Hamrans  had  discovered  that  we  had  Base 
with  us,  and  had  pursued  them  with  their  guns,  threatening 
that  they  would  shoot  them  ;  but  the  three  Lacatecourah  men, 
together  with  the  man  from  Sogada,  ran  away  as  fast  as  their 
legs  would  carry  them,  —  the  latter  leaving  his  horse  behind 
with  us. 

The  Hamrans  soon  gave  up  the  chase,  and  went  a  short  way 
down  the  river ;  on  the  way  they  met  some  of  our  Arabs,  whom 
they  informed  that  we  should  not  go  down  the  river  into  their 
country,  and  that,  if  we  persisted  in  doing  so,  they  would  shoot 
us.  We  were  naturally  very  indignant  with  them  for  their 
impertinence,  and  very  angry  at  their  having  frightened  away 
men  who  were  living  in  our  camp  with  our  permission  ;  we  of 
course  poohpoohed  their  threats,  and  told  them  we  should  go 
vv^here  we  pleased. 

They  had  a  right  to  be  annoyed  at  our  going  into  their  coun- 
try with  Haikota  people,  and  shooting  their  game,  as  by  so 
doing  any  baksheesh  we  might  distribute,  or  wages  we  might 
pay,  would  go  to  them,  instead  of  to  the  Hamrans,  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  country ;  it  was,  however,  a  very  hostile  method 
of  expostulating  with  us  about  it.  Had  we  intended  shooting 
in  the  Hamran  country  when  we  left  Haikota,  we  should  of 
course  not  have  taken  any  of  Sheik  Achmed  Ageer's  people 
farther  than  to  the  borders  of  the  Hamrans  ;  but  when  we 
left,  we  never  contemplated  spending  any  time  in  their  country. 
We  took  no  notice  of  their  threats,  but  broke  up  our  camp, 
and  rode  on.  Suleiman  harangued  them  as  we  passed  them 
sitting  under  some  trees,  with  a  number  of  their  people ;  and 
they  made  an  apology. 

We  had  not  gone  far  before  a  native  came  running  to  tell  us 
there  were  two    hippos  "  in  a  pool  close  by.    We  soon  found 


i86 


FAILURE  TO  CATCH  " BIFFOSy 


them ;  and,  as  one  appeared  to  be  a  baby  one,  we  determined 
to  try  either  to  catch  him  in  the  net,  or  force  him  out  on  to 
the  bank,  and  so  secure  him  if  possible.  It  was  the  very  pool 
we  had  dragged  for  fish  the  day  after  our  arrival  on  the  Settite, 
and  we  placed  our  camp  a  little  lower  down  than  the  site  we 
had  chosen  when  we  first  encamped  on  the  banks  of  the  river. 
We  had  been  mistaken  in  imagining  that  either  of  the  "  hip- 
pos "  was  a  baby :  on  the  contrary,  they  were  both  full-grown. 
One  kept  ahead  of  the  net,  but  the  other  dived  underneath  and 
went  back  ;  however,  we  caught  some  fifteen  or  twenty  fish, 
mostly  small  ones,  which  we  could  not  weigh  as  usual,  having 
left  the  steelyard  at  the  camp.  We  distributed  the  fish  among 
the  Arabs  who  had  helped  us  with  the  net.  It  was  rather  like 
fishing  for  sharks,  and  catching  minnows.  Colvin  and  Lort 
Phillips  tried  to  shoot  a  hippo,"  after  we  had  given  up  the 
idea  of  catching  one  alive  ;  but  they  were  no  more  successful  in 
endeavouring  to  ornament  the  larder  with  it  than  we  had  been 
in  our  attempts  to  secure  it  for  the  Zoological  Gardens. 

Three  of  us  returned  to  camp  in  the  Berthon  boat,  a  some- 
what difficult  undertaking,  owing  to  the  number  of  shallows 
over  which  it  had  to  be  dragged  or  carried,  and  which  rather 
reminded  one  of  the  man  who  agreed  to  work  his  passage  by 
the  canal-boat,  and  was  made  to  lead  the  horse  most  of  the 
way. 

Just  before  reaching  camp  we  heard  a  shot,  and  on  arriving 
there  found  a  great  commotion  going  on.  It  appeared  that 
Colvin,  who  had  just  come  in,  had  given  his  rifle  to  Moosa 
to  put  down  ;  when  he  handed  it  to  him  it  was  at  half  cock, 
with  the  locks  bolted.  Salee  wished  to  take  it  from  Moosa  to 
put  it  in  the  tent,  but  he  was  not  willing  to  give  it  up ;  and  in 
endeavouring  to  take  it  from  him  by  force  it  went  off,  and  the 
bullet  passed  close  by  Salee's  head. 


A  QUARRELSOME  SERVANT. 


187 


We  had  brought  Moosa  from  Cassala  ;  he  was  a  boy  of  about 
fourteen,  as  sharp  as  a  needle,  but  a  thorough  young  scamp, 
with  a  most  violent  temper.  Salee  declared  he  had  tried  to 
shoot  him  on  purpose,  but  there  was  no  evidence  of  this  being 
the  case.  We  gave  him  a  good  thrashing,  which  we  hoped 
would  be  a  lesson  to  him  to  be  more  careful  in  future ;  and 
rated  him  well  for  his  carelessness,  as,  in  any  case,  he  must  have 
been  playing  with  the  locks  for  the  rifle  to  have  gone  off  at  all. 
For  some  time  before  this,  we  had  thought  it  prudent  to  keep 
our  rifles  loaded  in  view  of  possible  contingencies,  otherwise 
Colvin  would  of  course  have  extracted  the  cartridges  before 
giving  it  up  to  a  native. 

Not  many  days  later  we  were  obliged  to  send  Moosa  away 
altogether.  Having  picked  a  quarrel  with  another  Arab  boy 
of  about  his  own  age,  he  rushed  at  him  with  a  large  pair  of 
sharp-pointed  scissors  used  for  skinning  birds,  and  inflicted 
several  severe  wounds  on  his  chest  and  arms.  After  having 
administered  a  sufficient  correction  with  a  convenient  koor- 
batc/i,  we  handed  him  over  to  a  neighbouring  Hamran  sheik, 
to  be  sent  back  to  his  own  people  at  Cassala  at  the  first  oppor- 
tunity. 

The  place  where  we  encamped  was  called  Om  Gedat,  or 
"mother  of  the  guinea-fowl,"  so  named  from  the  immense 
number  of  those  birds  that  resorted  to  the  neighbourhood. 
After  a  night  there,  we  moved  about  ten  miles  farther  down, 
and  pitched  our  tents  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  at  a  spot 
named  Om  Hagar,  or  "mother  of  the  rock."  The  Arabs  on 
the  Settite  are  very  fond  of  such  names.  A  village  still  farther 
down,  they  term  Om  Brega,  "mother  of  the  thorn,"  also  a 
most  appropriate  designation,  the  village  being  situated  in  a 
wood  of  kiitar-hMs\\Q.s. 

Lort  Phillips  and  Aylmer.made  the  journey  together  to 


i88 


THE  BERTH  ON  BOAT. 


Om  Hagar,  in  the  Berthon  boat.  This  boat  proved  a  most  ex- 
cellent institution,  and  was  a  great  acquisition  during  our  stay 
on  the  river.  It  was  nine  feet  in  length,  and,  being  collapsable, 
was  easily  carried  on  one  side  of  a  camel,  in  which  position 
it  travelled  the  whole  of  the  long  journey  without  mishap ; 
and,  notwithstanding  the  great  heat  to  which  it  was  constantly 
subjected,  was  as  sound  on  its  arrival  at  the  coast  as  on  its 
departure  for  the  interior.  As  I  have  already  mentioned,  it  was 
extremely  serviceable  in  shooting  the  net,  and  in  clearing  it 
when  foul  of  rocks.  It,  moreover,  afforded  an  easy  means  of 
crossing  the  river  ;  thereby  saving  many  a  weary  tramp  to  reach 
the  nearest  ford,  possibly  two  or  three  miles  distant. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


Departure  for  Om  Hagar.  —  Good  Sport. — Arrival  at  Om  Hagar.  —  Buffalo 
Tracks.  —  Capture  of  the  Frst  Hippopotamus. — Visit  from  Hamran  Sheik's 
Son. —  The  Last  Hippopotamus.  —  Marabou  Storks. —  Purchase  of  a  Tortoise. 
—  A  Splendid  Buck  Nclliit  shot. 

Before  leaving  Om  Gedat,  we  engaged  as  guides  a  couple  of 

Hamrans,  who  turned  out  fairly  useful. 

The  appearance  of  the  country  between  this   point  and 

Om  Hagar  considerably  improved,  and  was,  to  a  sportsman's 

eye,  decidedly  more  promising.    The  hills  that  bordered  the 

river,  though  still  steep  and  stony,  were  less  rugged  than  those 

we  were  leaving  behind  us  ;  while,  beyond,  the  country  opened 

out  into  a  plain,  interspersed  with  small  hills  on  the  north  side 

of  the  river,  and  apparently  boundless  to  the  south  of  it.  The 

trees,  too,  that  fringed  the  river,  were  much  greener  and  larger 

than  heretofore,  thereby  affording  more  covert  for  the  game 

we  hoped  to  find.    Dotted  about  amidst  grateful  shade,  were 

the  giant  habitations  of  the  white  ants  {termites),  nowhere 

more  numerous,  or  of  larger  size,  than  in  this  part  of  the 

country.    Our  tents  were  pitched  on  a  spot  high  above  the 

river,  with  a  grassy  lawn  sloping  down  to  the  water,  well 

known  to  Ali  our  cook,  who  had  previously  spent  much  time 

in  the  same  place.    He  lost  no  time  in  establishing  himself 

under  a  leafy  bower,  to  which  he  apparently  considered  that  he 

possessed  a  prescriptive  right,  by  virtue  of  old  association. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  but  a  little  lower  down, 

189 


190 


FINE  SPORT. 


what  at  first  appeared  to  be  a  khor  ran  for  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  to  two  miles,  parallel  with  the  Settite,  where  it  joined  the 
river,  forming,  when  the  water  was  high  during  the  rains,  a 
large  island.  In  its  bed  were  several  pools  of  w^ater,  favourite 
drinking-places  for  the  game  in  the  country,  and  often  preferred 
to  the  main  body  of  the  stream  on  account  of  their  retired 
situation. 

On  the  afternoon  of  our  arrival,  my  brother  William  and  I 
took  our  rifles,  and  crossed  the  river  at  a  ford.  Before  sfoinof 
very  far,  we  espied  in  the  distance  a  herd  of  tctcl  feeding,  and 
cautiously  creeping  from  bush  to  bush,  I  endeavoured  to  lessen 
the  distance  between  us.  The  wind  was  right,  and  the  ground 
well  adapted  for  stalking ;  so  before  very  long  I  succeeded  in 
gaining  an  advantageous  position  for  a  shot.  I  was  rather 
anxious  to  secure  one,  as  I  perceived  that  the  herd  belonged 
to  the  less  common  Lechtenstein  variety,  and  was  well  pleased 
when  a  fine  bull  fell  dead  to  my  shot.  This,  however,  proved 
to  be  merely  a  beginning  to  the  afternoon's  sport. 

Declining  to  follow  up  the  herd  of  tetcl,  we  left  a  man  to  cut 
up  the  game,  and  guard  it  from  vultures,  and  pushed  on  in 
a  northerly  direction.  Before  very  long  my  brother  espied  a 
beautiful  specimen  of  the  graceful  ariel  antelope'.  This  animal 
is  usually  very  wary,  and  to  approach  it  successfully  requires 
considerable  care.  A  wide  detour  was  necessary  in  order  to 
gain  the  wind,  which,  however,  we  accomplished.  It  was  im- 
possible to  get  a  near  shot,  as  the  antelope  was  restless,  and 
evidently^ aware  of  impending  danger,  and  the  covert  was  thin 
and  scanty.  Well  concealed  beneath  the  shade  of  a  huge  ncb- 
<^;//{'-bush,  I  could  watch  the  whole  proceedings  with  my  field- 
glass.  At  last  I  could  see  that  my  brother  had  decided  to  risk 
a  long  shot  in  preference  to  taking  the  chance  of  losing  one 
altogether  by  endeavouring  to  attain  closer  quarters.    A  puff 


A  FINE  BULL  TETEL. 


191 


of  smoke,  followed  by  the  report  of  the  rifle ;  and  I  saw  the 
ariel  bound  high  into  the  air,  and  fall  to  the  ground,  where  it 
struggled  convulsively  for  a  few  seconds.  The  range  was  over 
two  hundred  yards,  and  the  bullet  had  passed  through  its  shoul- 
ders. We  now  sent  a  native  back  to  camp  to  bring  a  couple  of 
camels  for  the  meat,  leaving  a  third  with  the  dead  ariel,  while 
we  rested  under  a  tree.  In  a  very  short  time  a  camel  and  some 
men  appeared  on  the  scene ;  having  heard  our  shots  in  camp, 
they  had  started  off  of  their  own  accord,  thinking  it  probable 
that  their  services  would  be  required. 

As  we  had  been  so  successful  in  such  a  short  time,  we  made 
no  delay  in  starting  forward,  taking  with  us  a  couple  of  the 
new  arrivals.  Within  a  mile  of  this  spot,  we  came  upon  a  herd 
of  ariel ;  and  after  a  short  stalk  my  brother  was  again  success- 
ful, obtaining  two  out  of  the  herd  by  a  right-and-left  shot. 
Considering  that  we  had  now  done  our  duty  as  caterers,  we 
turned  our  steps  in  a  homeward  direction,  knowing  that  we 
should  be  welcomed  on  our  return  by  dusky  faces  glowing  with 
the  anticipation  of  an  unstinted  repast.  But  Diana  had  not 
yet  forsaken  us.  Before  reaching  the  camp,  w^e  were  startled 
by  a  crash  to  our  left,  and,  turning  round,  saw  a  fine  bull  ///// 
galloping  swiftly  over  the  stony  ground.  At  about  a  hundred 
yards'  distance,  fatal  curiosity  apparently  overcame  prudence, 
and  he  turned  to  see  what  strange  animal  had  produced  the 
noise  that  had  frightened  him.  Now  or  never  was  my  chance  ; 
he  was  standing  broadside  on,  and  afforded  a  splendid  shot, 
which  I  hastened  to  take  advantage  of,  thus  adding  number  five 
to  the  afternoon's  bag. 

We  pitched  our  camp  at  Om  Hagar  on  March  14,  where  we 
remained  until  the  22d,  from  which  date  we  considered  our- 
selves as  more  or  less  homeward  bound.  We  drew  lots,  as 
usual,  for  pairs  to  go  out  shooting.    This  we  did  to  economize 


GOOD  SPORTING  GROUND. 


the  ground,  and  because  we  were  far  too  large  a  party  to  have 
invariably  gone  out  shooting  singly.  Gf  course,  by  dividing 
into  two  parties,  and  having  separate  camps,  each  taking  a  dif- 
ferent district,  we  might  have  augmented  the  bag ;  but  in  such 
an  expedition  as  ours,  we  felt  that,  although  shooting  formed 
our  chief  amusement,  yet  still  there  were  many  other  considera- 
tions which  made  it  both  pleasanter  and  more  desirable  to  hang 
together.  For  instance,  in  the  Base  country,  which  occupied 
the  larger  portion  of  our  time  in  the  game  districts,  the  trouble 
and  risk  of  entering  that  territory  would  have  been  more  than 
doubled  by  dividing  the  party.  Again,  the  Hamran  country  is 
in  itself  but  a  small  slice  of  the  Soudan ;  and,  being  inhabited 
by  a  race  of  hunters,  the  part  which  contains  game  is  even 
more  circumscribed,  and  would  soon  be  shot  out  by  a  party 
armed  with  English  rifles.  Moreover,  we  all  thoroughly  appre- 
ciated the  old  adage  "The  more  the  merrier;"  and  fighting  our 
battles  over  again,  over  a  dish  of  succulent  buffalo  or  antelope 
steak,  on  one's  return  in  the  evening,  was  not  the  least  agree- 
able part  of  the  day's  programme. 

Finding  the  neighbourhood  of  Om  Hagar  so  well  off  for  an- 
telope, we  were  anxious  to  lose  no  time  in  exploring  for  larger 
game.  The  day  after  our  arrival  there,  my  brother  William 
and  I  went  out  together.  We  crossed  the  river,  and  were  not 
long  in  discovering  the  tracks  of  a  large  bull  buffalo,  which  led 
us  to  a  small  pool  of  water  near  our  camp,  in  what,  for  want  of 
a  better  name,  we  always  termed  the  kJior.  This  was  the  dry 
part  of  the  river's  bed,  which,  uniting  with  the  main  body,  of 
the  stream,  formed  during  the  flood  season  an  island,  to  which 
allusion  has  already  been  made.  The  accompanying  woodcut 
is  engraved  from  a  photograph  of  this  khor  taken  by  Aylmer. 
The  buffalo  had  been  quenching  his  thirst  in  this  khor  the  pre- 
vious evening ;  his  tracks  led  us  back  through  the  dense  nebbuk- 


A  FRUITLESS  CHASE, 


193 


bushes  that  fringed  its  banks,  and  where  he  had  doubtless  slept 
the  night  previous,  to  the  plain  not  far  from  the  spot  where 
we  had  originally  encountered  the  herd. 

It  soon  became  very  evident  that  the  object  of  our  pursuit 
could  not  be  far  distant,  and  we  crept  forward  with  our  rifles  at 
full  cock;  when  suddenly,  from  behind  a  thick  tree  we  heard  a 
rush,  and,  barely  giving  us  a  glimpse  of  his  black  hide,  and  af- 
fording no  chance  of  a  shot,  he  made  his  best  pace  for  the  khor 
again.  Taking  up  his  tracks,  we  followed  them  for  about  three 
miles,  until  we  again  reached  the  thick  belt  of  nebbiiks ;  and 
then  the  pursuit  became  more  exciting,  as  each  minute  we  ex- 
pected to  find  ourselves  face  to  face  with  him.  The  thorns, 
even  to  us,  habituated  as  we  were  to  the  many  frightful  species 
which  abound  in  this  part  of  Africa,  were  something  phenom- 
enal ;  and  if  our  clothes  had  not  been  made  of  the  toughest 
materials,  we  should  have  emerged  less  clothed  than  even  the 
scantily  clad  Base. 

This  time  the  buffalo  did  not  even  indulge  us  with  a  sight  of 
him,  but,  before  we  had  been  long  in  the  bushes,  again  made  for 
the  more  open  country,  taking  much  the  same  line  as  before. 
The  day  being  intensely  hot,  the  thermometer  in  camp  marking 
105°  in  the  shade,  we  cried  a  halt,  and  passed  some  three  hours 
under  a  tree,  in  a  lovely  spot  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  While 
resting  there  we  noticed  several  gazelles  and  ariels  come  down 
to  the  river's  side  to  drink,  within  easy  shot  of  where  we  were 
sitting ;  they  all  seemed  very  timid,  and  before  daring  to  quench 
their  thirst  keenly  scrutinized  each  rock  or  bush  which  might 
perchance  conceal  a  hidden  foe.  They  were  apparently  loath 
to  trust  themselves  near  the  deep  water,  no  doubt  dreading  the 
crocodiles  with  which  the  Settite  abounds,  and  contented  them- 
selves with  the  warm  water  left  in  tiny  pools  by  the  daily  reced- 
ing river. 


194 


A  SECOND  FAILURE. 


In  the  afternoon  we  again  returned  to  the  chase  ;  and  this 
time  my  brother  obtained  a  snap-shot  at  the  buffalo  as  he  bolted 
through  the  trees,  though  with  no  apparent  effect.  After  this 
we  pursued  him  for  a  long  way,  and  were  on  the  point  of  giving 
up,  when  we  came  upon  him,  standing  amongst  mimosa-bushes 
so  thick  that  we  could  scarcely  distinguish  his  head  from  his 
tail.  After  vainly  endeavouring  to  improve  our  position,  we 
fired  simultaneously ;  he  charged  furiously  out  into  a  more 
open  place,  and  stood  pawing  the  ground,  with  lowered  head 
and  snorting  savagely.  Momentarily  expecting  his  charge,  we 
reserved  our  second  barrels  for  close  quarters.  As  they  say 
in  diplomatic  circles,  ''the  position  had  become  somewhat 
strained."  A  moment's  intense  anxiety,  and  he  suddenly 
wheeled  round,  and  once  more  tore  through  the  bushes  in  un- 
dignified retreat,  receiving  a  bullet  from  my  ten-bore  on  his 
way.  We  did  not  feel  sure  in  what  part  he  had  been  wounded, 
but  we  followed  the  blood  track  until  the  rapidly  decreasing 
daylight  warned  that  it  was  time  to  desist ;  and,  greatly  disap- 
pointed, we  acknowledged  defeat,  and  turned  our  steps  camp- 
ward. 

On  our  way  we  passed  a  large  zariba  containing  a  great  many 
goats  and  sheep,  and  where  the  people  were  most  obliging,  in- 
sisting upon  our  imbibing  huge  draughts  of  milk,  which  did  not 
require  much  pressing  on  their  part,  as  we  were  extremely  hot 
and  thirsty.  We  arranged  with  them  for  a  daily  supply  of  milk 
during  the  remainder  of  our  stay  at  Om  Hagar.  There  is  next 
to  no  twilight  in  these  latitudes ;  darkness  soon  overtook  us, 
and  we  found  that  it  was  indeed  no  joke  to  thread  one's  way 
amongst  the  vicious  thorn-bushes  with  which  our  path  was 
beset. 

Lort  Phillips  had  that  afternoon  caught  a  gamoot  weighing 
thirty-one  pounds ;  and  Aylmer  and  Colvin  had  passed  a  long 


FIRST  HIPPOPOTAMUS  BAGGED. 


195 


and  exciting  day  after  a  herd  of  buffaloes  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river ;  and,  although  they  had  each  wounded  one,  they 
failed  to  bring  either  to  bag.  A  native  whom  they  had  taken 
with  them  had  succeeded  in  spearing  a  calf,  which  had  been 
left  behind  during  the  general  stampede  of  the  herd,  so  that  a 
new  delicacy  in  the  shape  of  veau  saiivage  was  that  night  added 
to  our  Dicmi. 

The  following  day  Colvin  and  I  went  out  together.  We 
determined  to  try  to  take  up  again  the  tracks  of  yesterday's 
wounded  bull.  Vain  endeavour !  countless  guinea-fowl  had 
crossed  and  re-crossed  the  trail ;  and,  although  we  found  it 
every  now  and  then,  we  lost  it  again  almost  directly.  I  never, 
either  before  or  since,  came  across  these  birds  in  such  num- 
bers ;  the  ground,  for  almost  six  miles,  was  literally  covered 
with  them.  Past  experience  had  taught  us  that  it  was  next  to 
useless  to  attempt  sport  where  they  were  very  numerous,  as 
they  are  as  great  a  plague  to  the  African  sportsman  as  ptarmi- 
gan or  grouse  frequently  are  to  the  deer-stalkcx*  in  the  High- 
lands. We  pushed  forward  as  quickly  as  possible,  so  as  to  get 
out  of  their  region  ;  and  hardly  had  we  e.one  so,  when  we 
found  fresh  tracks  of  a  small  herd ;  these  we  pursued  for  some 
distance,  until,  finding  that  they  were  evidently  bent  on  a  long 
journey  and  travelling  away  from  the  river,  we  gave  up  the 
chase. 

The  same  day  Aylmer  secured  the  first  hippopotamus,  a  fair- 
sized  bull.  His  first  shot  had,  apparently,  half-stunned  it ;  but 
several  more  bullets  were  required  before  life  was  extinct. 
"  Hippos  "  were  scarce  in  that  part  of  the  Settite,  and  we  did 
not  care  to  shoot  many ;  the  flesh  was,  however,  greatly  appre- 
ciated by  the  Arabs,  although  we  found  it  somewhat  strong  in 
flavour,  and  very  tough.  After  having  gorged  themselves  with 
as  much  of  the  fresh  meat  as  they  could  manage  to  swallow, 


196 


TROPHIES, 


they  would  cut  up  the  remainder  into  strips,  with  which  they 
festooned  all  the  trees  ;  this,  when  dried,  was  placed  in  skins, 
and  afterwards  cooked  and  eaten  from  time  to  time.  The 
fat,  when  boiled  down,  formed  a  most  excellent  substitute  for 
cooking-butter,  which  we  were  very  glad  to  get,  as  the  only 
butter  we  could  obtain  in  the  country  possessed  a  most  dis- 
gusting taste,  principally  owing  to  the  fact  of  its  being  kept  in 
badly  cured  goat-skins. 

Then,  too,  the  hide  is  most  highly  prized  throughout  the 
Soudan  for  the  purpose  of  making  the  koorbatch,  or  native 
whip,  of  which  we  were  told  one  skin,  if  carefully  divided, 
would  make  upwards  of  two  hundred.  This  statement,  how- 
ever, must  be  taken  aim  grano,  as  we  never  put  it  to  the  test. 
The  hide,  on  the  neck  of  a  fine  bull,  is  fully  an  inch  and  a  half 
in  thickness.  Altogether,  you  cannot  please  your  Arabs  more 
than  by  shooting  one  of  these  useful  animals. 

The  tusks  are  often  very  fine,  and  were  at  one  time  exten- 
sively used  by  dentists,  in  the  manufacture  of  false  teeth.  I 
believe,  however,  that  they  have  been  superseded  by  the  use 
of  some  composition.  They  make  very  nice  trophies,  and  can 
be  made  up  in  various  ways.  At  home  we  had  some  made 
into  frames  for  mirrors,  and  they  looked  very  well. 

The  natives  secure  these  animals  by  means  of  harpoons,  of 
which  Sir  Samuel  ]3aker  gives  a  most  interesting  account  in 
*'The  Nile  Tributaries  of  Abyssinia,"  a  book  that  served  us  as 
a  sort  of  guide-book,  and  which  we  found  contained  a  most 
accurate  description  of  the  country. 

Owing  to  the  comparative  ease  with  which  hippototami  can 
be  killed,  they  are  rapidly  becoming  exterminated  in  this  part 
of  Africa.  They  are  no  longer  found  on  the  Nile  farther 
north  than  the  nineteenth  degree  of  north  latitude,  and  are 
nowhere  plentiful  north  of  Khartoum.    Where  there  is  cultiva- 


AGRICULTURE  UNDER  DIFFICULTIES,  197 


tion  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  they  do  a  great  deal  of  damage. 
Near  Berber,  I  have  seen  places  where,  every  night,  the  natives 
sat  up  to  protect  their  crops  against  their  depredations.  Along 
the  river  they  stretched  a  rope,  supported  on  poles,  from  which 
hung  numerous  bells,  and  which  they  pulled  vigorously  when- 
ever a  "hippo"  made  its  appearance,  in  order  to  scare  the  un- 
welcome intruder  back  into  the  river. 

Agriculture  in  these  parts  is  indeed  no  sinecure ;  the  hus- 
bandman has  no  peace  night  or  day.  All  day  long,  vast  flocks 
of  doves,  and  small  birds,  cause  havoc  amongst  his  crops,  and 
necessitate  perpetual  vigilance.  One  often  sees  boys  perched 
upon  lofty  platforms,  armed  with  slings,  with  which,  accom- 
panied by  discordant  cries,  they  endeavour  to  ward  off  their 
feathered  foes. 

A  very  considerable  khor,  called  the  Royan,  joined  the  Settite 
some  little  distance  to  the  westward  of  our  encampment.  My 
brothers,  one  day,  rode  across  country,  striking  the  Royan, 
some  miles  from  its  mouth ;  and  there  they  found  numbers  of 
Arabs  with  their  flocks,  many  of  the  men  busily  engaged  in 
setting  snares  for  any  antelopes  that  might  come  to  drink  at 
any  of  the  occasional  pools  of  water  that  were  to  be  found 
in  its  bed.  As  this  would  not  have  improved  our  chances  of 
sport  in  that  direction,  and  as  it  was  evident  that  at  that  time 
Arabs  were  dwelling  there  in  considerable  numbers,  none  of 
us  thought  it  worth  while  to  go  there  again.  On  the  way, 
however,  my  brothers  saw  great  numbers  of  antelopes  of 
different  kinds,  among  others  a  herd  of  mddrif.  These  exceed- 
ingly wary  animals  almost  invariably  keep  to  the  open  plains, 
and  are  very  difficult  to  approach.  Neither  of  my  brothers 
succeeded  in  bagging  one.  The  utmost  they  could  do  was  to 
obtain  a  galloping  shot,  at  well  over  two  hundred  yards. 

Soon  after  our  arrival  at  Cm   Hagar,  we  sent  a  quantity  of 


198 


SON  OF  A  HAMRAN  SHEIK. 


dhurra  to  a  Hamran  village  farther  down  the  river,  to  be  con- 
verted into  flour ;  with  it  we  sent  a  present  of  a  handsome 
burnous,  a  small  quantity  of  gunpowder,  and  a  letter  to  the 
chief  sheik  of  the  Hamran  tribe  of  Arabs,  who  was  at  that 
time  dwelling  there.  The  result  was,  that  he  sent  his  son  to 
visit  us,  a  very  good-looking  fellow,  and  well  mannered  except 
for  his  begging  propensities.  He  was  very  anxious  that  we 
should  bestow  some  present  upon  him,  and  begged  very  hard 
for  a  gun,  and  all  kinds  of  things,  and  was  very  difficult  to 
satisfy.  He  was  profuse  in  his  apologies  for  Said,  and  the 
other  Hamrans  at  Meheteb,  and  informed  us  that  it  was  a  fact 
that  Said's  father  had  been  killed  by  the  Base,  a  circumstance 
of  which  we  had  heard  before.  He  declared  that  the  Hamrans 
were  friends  with  the  Abyssinians,  and  that  with  their  permis- 
sion the  Hamrans  hunted  elephants  in  their  country,  on  the 
stipulation  that  any  game  shot  in  their  territory  was  divided 
with  them. 

On  the  same  evening,  Mahomet  Salee  and  one  of  our  other 
old  horsemen  suddenly  made  their  appearance,  with  two  camels 
that  we  had  sent  from  Haikota  to  Cassala,  for  some  necessaries 
such  as  bread,  sugar,  and  candles.  These  camels  had  left 
Achmed  Ageer's  headquarters  for  Cassala  at  the  same  time 
that  we  left  for  the  Settite,  and  had  been  away  far  longer  than 
they  ought  to  have  been.  The  same  evening  Mahomet  Salee 
left  our  camp  for  Om  Brega,  to  purchase  dJiurra  on  his  own 
account,  which  he  intended  taking  back  with  him  to  the  Gash  ; 
as  a  peace-offering  he  brought  us  the  skin  of  a  boa-constrictor 
which  he  said  he  had  killed  on  the  road  between  Khor  Meheteb 
and  Haikota. 

The  same  day  news  was  brought  into  camp,  that  Colvin  had 
killed  a  "hippo"  three  or  four  miles  farther  up  the  river.  We 
despatched  camels  for  the  meat ;  and  at  the  same  time  my 


HIPPOPOTAMUS  SHOT. 


brother  William  and  I  started  with  the  photographic  camera, 
intending  to  take  its  photograph.  On  arriving  at  the  place  we 
found  a  ''hippo  "  in  a  large  pool,  rising,  as  is  the  habit  of  these 
animals,  to  the  surface  to  breathe,  and  quickly  disappearing 
again.  The  Arabs  declared,  however,  that  this  was  another 
animal ;  and  that  the  one  Colvin  had  shot  was  lying  dead  at  the 
bottom  of  the  river,  and  would  soon  rise  to  the  surface.  We 
waited  a  long  time,  hoping  that  this  would  be  the  case  ;  and  to 
pass  the  time  I  fished,  but  with  indifferent  success.  I  saw  a 
number  of  turtles,  which  kept  coming  up  to  the  top  of  the 
water,  but  could  not  catch  one,  and  only  managed  to  hook  a 
gamoot  of  seven  pounds. 

Colvin  left  the  pool,  and  went  off  with  Aylmer.  The  latter 
shot  a  mehedehet  and  a  very  fine  buck  nellut ;  and  in  returning 
to  camp  in  the  evening,  Colvin  obtained  a  snap-shot  at  a  leo- 
pard, which  he  unfortunately  missed ;  this  was  the  more  unlucky, 
as  it  was  the  first  time  any  of  us  had  had  a  shot  at  one.  My 
brother  Arthur  went  down  to  the  pool  where  the  ''hippo"  was, 
and,  as  there  was  no  sign  of  Colvin's  animal,  shot  our  friend  of 
the  morning.  Either  it  was  the  same  one  Colvin  had  fired  at, 
and  not  killed ;  or  else  Colvin  had  wounded  one,  which  man- 
aged to  keep  out  of  our  sight  by  remaining  under  the  bushes 
which  grew  very  thick  on  one  bank  of  the  river,  and  overhung 
the  water.  At  any  rate,  we  saw  no  signs  of  any  other,  and,  in 
fact,  saw  no  more  hippopotami  during  the  remainder  of  our 
stay  in  the  country.  The  following  morning  we  found  my 
brother's  "hippo"  floating,  and,  after  towing  it  to  land,  took 
its  photograph ;  it  proved  to  be  an  old  bull,  with  enormous 
tusks  which  had  grown  through  the  upj^er  lip. 

It  is  often  very  difficult,  in  shooting  hippopotami,  to  deter- 
mine whether  or  not  your  shot  has  been  successful,  as,  hit  or 
miss,  the  animal  at  once  sinks  below  the  surface,  to  float  after 


200  A  GIGANTIC  LAND-TORTOISE. 


some  two  or  three  hours  if  killed ;  but  if  only  wounded,  or 
missed,  he  will  frequently  select  so  well-concealed  a  spot  for 
his  necessary  re-appearance  as  to  baffle  his  pursuers.  The 
lungs  of  the  hippopotamus  are  so  constructed  as  to  enable  him 
to  remain  below  the  surface  of  the  water  for  a  period  of  from 
six  to  ten  consecutive  minutes,  though  when  undisturbed  they 
delight  in  remaining  with  their  heads  entirely  above  water, 
often  for  a  considerable  length  of  time ;  but  when  molested, 
they  take  care  to  show  no  more  than  the  apertures  of  the  nos- 
trils, and  their  eyes,  and  that  only  for  a  few  seconds,  as  they 
quickly  fill  their  lungs  with  a  fresh  supply  of  oxygen,  and  sink 
again. 

The  vicinity  of  our  camp  was  the  daily  resort  of  numerous 
marabou-storks,  several  of  which  we  shot  for  the  sake  of  their 
feathers.  Any  one,  who  had  seen  these  birds  in  the  num- 
bers in  which  they  occur  in  these  parts  of  Africa,  would  fully 
appreciate  the  justice  and  accuracy  of  Mr.  H.  Stracey  Mark's 
admirable  picture  entitled  In  Convocation,"  which  attracted 
so  much  attention  at  the  Royal  Academy  two  or  three  years 
ago. 

We  purchased  from  some  Arabs,  for  a  trifling  sum,  a  gigantic 
land-tortoise,  which  we  had  intended  to  have  presented  to  the 
Zoological  Society  of  London ;  but  the  fates  were  against  us, 
for  a  journey  on  camel-back  proved  more  than  his  constitution 
could  bear.  He  weighed  almost  as  much  as  a  man  could  lift. 
At  night  we  fastened  him  with  a  strong  chain  to  a  heavy  pro- 
vision-box, which  he  would  frequently  drag  several  yards  in  his 
endeavours  to  escape.  We  never  could  perceive  that  he  ate  or 
drank  any  thing,  although  we  tried  him  with  every  thing  which 
we  thought  likely  to  tempt  his  palate.  Even  under  these  ad- 
verse circumstances,  he,  nevertheless,  lived  for  some  weeks,  and 
gave  no  signs  of  failing  strength,  until  one  day  we  found  him 


A  FINE  BUCK  NELLUT  BAGGED. 


20I 


dead.  Colvin,  however,  succeeded  in  conveying  to  England  a 
very  diminutive  specimen  of  what  appeared  to  be  the  same 
species. 

One  day  my  brother  William  took  his  camera  down  to  the 
khor  to  endeavour  to  photograph  any  antelopes  or  other  animals 
that  might  come  there.  Both  antelopes  and  baboons  made 
their  appearance  ;  but,  after  successive  attempts,  he  found  it 
impossible  so  to  arrange  the  camera  as  to  be  able  to  expose 
the  plate  without  disclosing  himself ;  accordingly,  he  discarded 
the  camera  for  the  rifle,  and  had  the  good  fortune  to  secure  the 
finest  buck  nclliit  that  we  obtained  during  the  expedition.  The 
horns  of  this  magnificent  animal  measured  thirty-nine  and  a 
half  inches  in  a  direct  line  from  the  base  to  the  tip,  and  fifty- 
nine  inches  measuring  round  the  curves.'  Every  cloud  has 
a  silver  lining:"  the  converse  often,  unfortunately,  holds  good. 
As  he  got  up  to  leave  his  hiding-place  towards  dusk,  he  locked 
his  rifle,  preparatory  to  scrambling  down  a  steep  bank  and 
through  thick  bushes.  The  noise  he  made  disturbed  a  pan- 
ther, which  had  approached  unseen  to  within  a  few  feet  of  his 
position,  and  which  bounded  into  the  jungle  without  even 
giving  him  time  for  a  snap-shot. 

The  whole  of  our  stay  at  Om  Hagar  was  most  enjoyable; 
and  I  think  I  cannot  do  better  than  give  a  few  extracts  from 
my  diary  of  our  last  days  there. 

I  Mr.  F.  C.  Selous,  in  his  interesting  book  entitled  "A  Hunter's  Wanderings  in  Africa," 
mentions  shooting  a  specimen  of  this  antelope,  which  he  designates  as  perhaps  the  handsomest 
species  in  the  world.  The  horns  of  this  animal  measured  forty-three  inches  from  base  to  tip, 
and  sixty-four  measuring  round  the  curves.    It  was  the  largest  he  ever  came  across. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


Extracts  from  Diary.  —  Bait  set  for  Lions.  —  Mosquitoes.  —  Among  the  Buffaloes 
again.  —  Beginning  of  the  Homeward  Journey.  —  Journey  towards  Lacatecourah. 
—  The  Village  of  Lacatecourah.  —  A  Bonne  Boiiche. 

March  19. — William  and  I  went  out  shooting  together,  and 
rode  a  long  way  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river.  Saw  one 
indd7'ify  but  miles  off,  and  could  not  succeed  in  getting  near  it, 
and  a  few  tetel  and  nelljtt,  to  which  we  paid  no  attention.  I 
had  a  long  shot  at  a  boos  {Klipspringcr  oreotragtis  saltatrix), 
which  I  unfortunately  missed.  This  is  the  only  antelope,  I 
believe,  that  inhabits  the  part  of  the  Soudan  through  which 
we  travelled,  that  none  of  us  ever  shot.  It  is  decidedly  scarce, 
is  larger  than  a  gazelle,  with  long  reddish  hair,  and  has,  for  its 
size,  big  horns.  Arthur  saw  either  two  or  three  lions,  he  could 
not  say  which.  The  first  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  as  it  vanished 
into  some  high  grass,  and,  although  he  followed  it,  never  saw 
it  again  ;  the  second  he  saw  almost  at  the  same  moment,  but  at 
the  top  of  a  hill  about  three  hundred  yards  off ;  and  the  third 
he  saw  on  returning  towards  camp  over  the  same  ground  in  the 
afternoon,  and  consequently  could  not  be  sure  that  it  was  not 
one  of  those  he  had  seen  in  the  morning.  Qwing  to  the  thick- 
ness of  the  covert,  and  the  hardness  of  the  ground,  it  was  im- 
possible to  follow  them  for  any  distance.  Lions  are  rarely  to 
be  caught  in  this  chance  way. 

On  our  return  to  camp  in  the  afternoon,  we  found  Arthur, 
who  told  us  about  the  lions ;  and  we  immediately  started  off 
202 


Mosquitoes. 


263 


again  to  endeavour  to  shoot  an  antelope,  which  we  wished  to 
use  as  a  bait  for  them.  Although  usually,  when  wc  did  not 
want  them,  we  could  obtain  one  or  two  without  much  difficulty, 
we  were  on  this  occasion  obliged  to  return  by  nightfall  with- 
out having  even  had  one  shot.  We  thought,  that,  by  leaving  a 
dead  antelope  near  the  place  where  Arthur  had  seen  the  lions, 
one  or  more  might  visit  it  during  the  night ;  in  which  case,  on 
tl\p  following  morning,  there  would  be  the  chance  of  finding 
one  not  far  from  the  carcase,  gorged  with  its  banquet.  Aylmer 
had  spent  the  day  by  the  water  in  the  khor,  and  had  shot  a  doe 
mddrif,  and  two  fine  buck  ncllut ;  not  bad,  as  all  had  heads  well 
worth  preserving.  On  his  arrival  in  camp  with  the  spoil,  we 
sent  one  of  the  latter  to  what  we  hoped  would  prove  the  tryst- 
ing-place  of  the  lions. 

"  To-day  the  atmosphere  has  been  clear  again ;  but  the 
two  previous  days  were  so  misty  that  the  sun  was  partly  in 
shade.  The  temperature,  both  night  and  day,  has  been  much 
cooler ;  and  we  have  had  very  strong  gales  at  night,  which 
tried  the  tent-ropes. 

"  The  mosquitoes  bother  us  a  good  deal  after  the  sun  has  gone 
down,  —  a  plague  we  have  not  experienced  before  this  winter, 
except  to  a  slight  extent  at  Souakim.  These  torments  need 
hardly  enter  into  one's  calculations  in  undertaking  a  journey 
into  these  parts  ;  on  the  few  occasions  that  one  meets  with 
them  in  any  number,  they  appear  to  be  very  local.  I  found  them 
very  troublesome  at  Sofi,  a  village  on  the  banks  of  the  Atbara, 
near  its  junction  with  the  Settite,  although  we  were  encamped 
very  high  above  the  river,  and  there  was  nothing  to  account 
for  their  presence  in  that  part  more  than  in  any  other.  This 
was  the  place  chosen  by  Sir  Samuel  Baker  in  which  to  spend 
the  rainy  season ;  and  he  mentions  their  extreme  virulence  in 
"The  Nile  Tributaries  of  Abyssinia."    Of  course  it  was  not  to 


204 


A  LION  TRACKED. 


be  wondered  at,  that  they  should  be  very  troublesome  during 
the  rains  ;  but,  as  I  found  them  so  great  a  plague  there  during 
the  driest  season  of  the  year,  it  is  very  probable  that  they 
were  thicker  there  during  the  rains  than  at  other  places. 

**  March  20.  —  Went  very  early  to  see  if  any  lions  had  visited 
Aylmer's  dead  ne//ul,  but  found  no  signs  of  its  having  been 
disturbed.  We  are  daily  supplied  with  milk  by  some  people 
who  have  made  a  large  zariba  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river, 
and  have  a  great  number  of  goats.  The  'proprietor'  came 
early  this  morning  to  inform  us  that  last  night  a  lion  had  had 
the  impudence  to  jump  over  the  zariba,  and  carry  away  a 
goat.  Colvin  and  I  started  in  pursuit,  hoping  to  be  able  to  fol- 
low the  depredator;  we  soon  found  where  he  had  jumped  over 
the  prickly  hedge,  and  the  marks  made  by  the  wretched  goat 
he  had  dragged  with  him.  Achmet  tracked  him  across  the 
river,  and  for  a  long  distance  on  the  other  side  ;  but  we  finally 
lost  the  marks  of  his  footsteps  in  thick  bushes,  and  were 
forced  to  abandon  the  pursuit. 

"We,  however,  found  tracks  of  buffalo  that  had  drunk  last 
night  at  the  river ;  and  these  we  followed  a  long  way  from  the 
Settite,  and  finally  got  up  to  them  in  a  ^ kittar'  forest.  They 
were  all  lying  down  tail  to  tail,  but  rose  to  their  feet  when  we 
got  to  within  a  hundred  to  a  hundred  and  thirty  yards  of  them. 
We  both  singled  out  what  appeared  to  be  big  ones,  and  fired  ; 
the  whole  herd  made  off  with  a  tremendous  crash  through  the 
bushes,  but  none  fell.  We  ran  round,  and  tried  to  cut  them 
off  as  they  made  for  the  river.  We  could  have  fired  again,  but 
abstained  from  doing  so,  as  they  would  have  been  long  shots, 
that  could  have  only  wounded  them.  After  following  for  some 
distance,  we  found  we  had  each  wounded  one ;  they  lagged 
behind  the  rest  of  the  herd,  which  was  evidently  going  slowly 
on  their  account.    A  little  farther,  and  the  only  wounded  beast 


ANOTHER  BUFFALO  BAGGED, 


205 


that  left  a  distinct  blood-track  sejoarated  from  the  others  ;  and 
we  followed  it  for  some  distance,  until  the  sun  going  down 
warned  us  that  it  was  useless  to  go  any  farther  that  night,  and 
we  returned  to  camp. 

William  and  Lort  Phillips  had  been  out  together,  and  had 
followed  a  herd  of  buffaloes  which  had  been  drinking  and 
splashing  in  the  river  opposite  our  camp  last  night.  They  went 
a  long  way  in  the  Meheteb  direction,  and  separated,  as  the 
latter  was  following  a  bull.  He  could  not  get  near  it,  and, 
having  lost  his  reckoning,  whistled,  which  startled  the  herd  as 
William  was  getting  near  it ;  and  the  buffaloes  galloped  off 
without  his  obtaining  the  chance  of  a  shot.  Later  in  the  day 
William  wounded  one,  but  not  badly  ;  and,  as  the  afternoon  was 
too  far  advanced  to  allow  of  his  following  it,  he  gave  it  up. 
Arthur  watched  the  pool  of  water  in  the  kJior,  and  was  re- 
warded by  shooting  two  wart-hogs  and  a  buck  nellut,  the  lat-* 
ter  of  which  he  sent,  as  a  bait  for  lions,  to  a  spot  where  we 
frequently  saw  their  marks. 

March  21.  —  Sent  George  out  for  a  day's  shooting  ;  and  he 
got  a  very  large  tetel,  and  a  gazelle,  and  wounded  a  mehedehety 
which  he  lost.  Arthur  and  William  went  to  see  if  any  lions 
had  touched  the  nellut,  but  found  no  traces  of  any  having  done 
so.  Lort  Phillips  watched  'the  water,'  and  succeeded  in  shoot- 
ing a  small  buck  nellut.  Colvin  and  I  took  up  the  tracks  of 
our  wounded  buffalo  of  yesterday ;  and,  after  going  for  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  where  we  had  given  up  the  pursuit 
last  night,  we  found  a  place  where  it  had  evidently  been  career- 
ing about.  Achmet  at  once  declared  that  it  had  been  attacked 
by  hyaenas.  Very  soon  we  espied  it  quite  dead.  It  was  a  large 
cow,  which,  in  the  thickness  of  the  kittar-hMsh^s,  we  had  easily 
mistaken  for  a  bull. 

^/  There  were  the  marks  of  several  hyaenas  on  the  ground,  and 


206  MOVING  HOMEWARDS. 

they  had  torn  the  poor  brute's  hind-quarters  all  to  pieces.  It 
was  quite  evident,  from  the  way  in  which  the  ground  was  torn 
up  by  the  buffalo's  hoofs,  that  the  hyaenas  had  attacked  it  while 
alive,  and  that  it  had  made  a  desperate  struggle  to  defend 
itself  before  giving  in.  We  left  a  camel  and  some  men  with 
the  carcase,  and  started  to  find  the  herd.  We  had  no  difficulty 
in  taking  up  their  tracks  from  where  we  had  left  them  yester- 
day, and  found,  too,  the  blood-marks  of  the  other  wounded 
animal ;  but  these  we  soon  lost  again.  We  spent  a  very  long, 
hot  day,  in  the  pursuit  of  this  herd  ;  the  wind  was  generally 
wrong,  and  it  was  not  until  after  much  crawling  through  long 
grass,  and  dodging  from  tree  to  tree,  that  late  in  the  afternoon 
we  either  of  us  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  shot  ;  it  was  a  long  one, 
and  the  buffalo  went  off  wounded.  Again,  after  a  short  pursuit, 
the  setting  sun  obliged  us  to  desist,  and  we  returned  to  camp. 

"  March  22.  —  Started  early  after  our  wounded  buffalo,  which 
we  had  left  not  far  from  camp  ;  its  tracks  were  difficult  to 
follow,  and  very  soon  crossed  those  of  the  herd.  However,  we 
were  not  long  in  finding  the  wounded  animal,  which  unfortu- 
nately proved  to  be  another  cow,  a  very  old  one,  with  a  fine 
head.  She  had  retreated  into  thick  covert  near  the  river,  and 
a  ball  in  the  shoulder  at  fifty  yards  brought  her  to  bag.  A 
crowd  of  Hamrans  had  followed  us,  eager  for  meat ;  and  as  we 
had  plenty  in  camp,  and  were,  moreover,  shifting  our  quarters, 
we  gave  most  of  it  away.  One  piece  of  hide,  sufficient  to  make 
a  shield,  we  exchanged  for  some  small  '  hippo's '  teeth. 

This  is  the  first  day  of  our  return  homewards.  We  marched 
to  the  water  in  Khor  Meheteb,  encamping  near  the  place  where 
we  had  previously  sat  up  watching  for  game.  Lort  Phillips, 
who  is  very  fond  of  fishing,  tried  the  Settite  for  the  last  time 
on  the  expedition,  and  caught  a  gamoot  weighing  twenty-five 
pounds.    Arthur  shot  a  small  crocodile. 


SIGNS  OF  ELEPHANTS. 


207 


"  We  turned  our  backs  on  the  river  with  many  regrets  ;  for, 
although  much  disappointed  at  being  baffled  in  our  attempt 
to  explore  farther  up  the  river,  we  had,  nevertheless,  greatly- 
enjoyed  our  stay  on  its  banks,  and  had  obtained  better  sport 
than  we  had  expected  in  the  Hamran  country. 

I  trust  some  day  we  shall  make  a  r.egular  expedition  into 
Abyssinia,  from  Massawa,  having  first  obtained  the  necessary 
letters  from  King  John,  authorising  us  to  do  so,  and  that  then 
we  shall  be  able  to  shoot  along  the  Settite  farther  up  the  river, 
and  perhaps  travel  along  its  banks  as  far  as  we  now  are  on 
Khor  Meheteb." 

It  was  dark  before  Colvin  and  I  joined  the  others  in  our 
new  camp,  and  we  found  them  just  sitting  down  to  dinner. 

We  had  now  to  go  through  much  the  same  kind  of  journey, 
to  get  back  to  Haikota,  that  we  had  performed  to  reach  the 
Settite  ;  but  we  were  determined  to  pass  through  the  Base  vill- 
age of  Lacatecourah  on  our  return.  Our  Arabs  declared  we 
should  get  there  by  nightfall ;  but  knowing  by  constant  experi- 
ence how  unreliable  they  were  in  all  their  statements,  we  in- 
sisted on  having  the  barrels  and  water-skins  filled  up  before 
making  a  start. 

Although  we  rose  at  daybreak,  it  was  9.30  before  the  caravan 
was  under  way.  The  "road"  was  fairly  good,  and  we  had  not 
to  make  our  way  through  half  as  thick  woods  as  those  we  had 
to  force  the  camels  through  in  going  to  the  Settite ;  there  was 
a  slightly  defined  footpath  most  if  not  all  the  way,  and  there 
was  really  no  excuse  for  the  camel-drivers  to  lose  themselves. 
In  Khor  Meheteb  we  found  that  elephants  had  drunk  there 
three  days  before  our  arrival ;  it  seemed  as  though  we  were 
never  destined  to  have  an  opportunity  of  shooting  any.  The 
country  was,  of  course,  most  monotonous  ;  but  we  were  for- 
tunate in  having  a  very  agreeable  day  for  travelling,  as  there 


20S 


A  LATE  DINNER, 


were  clouds  floating  about  which  frequently  shaded  the  sun. 
The  sunset  was  lovely ;  the  first  fine  one  we  had  enjoyed  since 
leaving  the  neighbourhood  of  Souakim.  At  the  time  of  year  in 
which  we  were  travelling,  clouds  were  rare,  and  the  sunsets 
consequently  lacked  variety. 

We  reached  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  which  Lacatecourah  is 
built,  at  6.45,  leaving  the  caravan  far  behind.  This  hill,  which 
is  some  four  or  five  hundred  feet  high,  is  covered  with  great 
granite  boulders  ;  and  the  village  is  the  largest  we  had  seen  of 
those  belonging  to  the  Base.  We  saw  lights  from  the  huts 
above  us,  and  after  a  good  deal  of  shouting  some  men  came 
down  to  us.  The  water  which  supplied  the  village  was  some 
distance  farther ;  but  as  we  had  plenty  coming  on  with  the 
caravan,  and  the  night  was  very  dark,  and  trees  thick,  we 
decided  on  remaining  where  we  were,  and  waiting  for  the 
camels  to  overtake  us. 

After  some  two  or  three  hours,  Mahoom  and  several  of  the 
native  servants  arrived,  and  reported  the  caravan  as  miles 
behind.  There  were  some  very  awkward  places  for  the  camels 
to  pass,  kho7's  with  very  steep  banks  to  be  crossed,  and  in  one 
of  these  a  camel  had  stuck  fast  for  a  long  time,  causing  great 
delay.  About  11.30  or  12,  the  next  contingent  made  its 
appearance,  consisting  of  George,  and,  most  important  person- 
age of  all,  Ali  the  cpok,  with  a  number  of  camels  in  their  train. 
They  had  with  them  a  "guide"  we  had  engaged  on  the  Settite 
to  show  us  the  way,  but  he  evidently  knew  nothing  about  it. 
We  lost  no  time  in  helping  Ali  to  light  a  fire,  and  get  his  cook- 
ing-pots started,  and  soon  pitched  one  of  the  tents. 

The  bulk  of  the  camels,  together  with  Suleiman,  did  not 
make  their  appearance  until  nine  o'clock  the  next  morning,  hav- 
ing completely  lost  their  reckoning,  as  well  as  the  apology  for 
a  path  that  there  was  ;  and  having  wandered  to  the  back  of  the 


LACATECOURAH. 


209 


hill  on  which  the  village  of  Lacatecourah  is  situated,  which 
prevented  their  seeing  the  pyrotechnic  display  in  which  we 
indulged  the  previous  evening,  on  hearing  that  they  were  lost. 
We  found  the  nights,  away  from  the  river,  much  colder,  and 
were  very  glad  of  our  blankets.  My  horse,  which  had  lasted 
better  than  any  of  the  others,  began  to  show  signs  of  a  sore 
back.  No  amount  of  care  bestowed  on  our  horses  seemed  to 
stop  this,  and  sooner  or  later  they  all  suffered  in  the  same  way. 
More  of  our  camels  gave  out  also.  Two  days  previously  one 
had  died  of  that  mysterious  disease,  the  guffer ;  and  on  the 
journey  from  Khor  Meheteb  two  had  had  to  be  left  behind. 

In  the  morning  we  thoroughly  explored  the  village,  which 
was  most  curious.  A  primitive  portcullis-like  gate,  near  the 
foot  of  the  hill,  gave  access  to  a  steep  path,  up  which  we 
climbed ;  huts  were  built  at  about  half  way  up  to  the  top. 
There  seemed  to  be  almost  a  greater  number  of  women  than 
men  ;  and  we  greatly  delighted  many  of  them,  by  presenting 
them  with  glass  beads,  kokl  for  their  eyes,  and  looking-glasses, 
while  among  the  men  we  distributed  a  large  number  of  knives. 
Some  of  the  women's  heads  were  remarkable  objects,  beads  of 
all  shapes  and  colours  being  regularly  worked  into  the  hair. 

The  view  from  the  top  of  the  hill,  or  rock,  for  it  is  not  much 
more,  is  extensive,  but  by  no  means  beautiful ;  a  great  plain 
covered  chiefly  by  leafless  trees  does  not  constitute  a  lovely 
prospect.  From  one  of  the  Base  we  bought  a  baby  baboon  to 
add -to  our  menagerie,  which  already  consisted  of  two  small 
green  monkeys  and  a  tortoise.'  We  decided  on  moving  the 
camp  to  some  wells  in  a  kho7',  about  an  hour  farther  on,  called 
Abou  Sellal,  and  remaining  there  for  the  day  to  allow  the 
camels  time  to  rest  and  feed.    We  felt  we  had  a  long  journey 


I  We  succeeded  in  bringing  all  these  animals  to  England  alive. 


2  lO 


A  BON-VIVANT, 


before  us  to  the  coast,  and  that  the  camels  were  not  in  good 
condition,  and  would  require  great  care  to  enable  them  to 
accomplish  it.  I  went  off  with  some  of  the  party  to  see  the 
place  that  supplied  the  village  with  water.  We  had  sent  some 
camels  there  to  fetch  some,  but  they  had  not  returned ;  and,  on 
our  arrival,  we  found  they  had  gone  on  to  other  wells  farther 
off,  where  the  water  was  said  to  be  better.  After  waiting  an 
hour  or  two  for  them,  they  made  their  appearance  ;  and  we  all 
went  on  together  to  the  camping-ground. 

As  an  instance  of  what  the  Base  will  eat :  while  waiting  at 
these  wells  for  the  camels,  we  noticed  one  pare  off  bits  of  hide 
from  his  sandals,  some  of  which  he  ate  as  they  were ;  but  his 
friend,  who  was  sitting  by  him  engaged  in  the  same  occupation, 
and  who  was  evidently  a  bon-vivant,  first  pounded  up  the  pieces 
of  sandal  with  a  stone  before  consuming  them ! 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


Encampment  at  Abou  Sella!.  —  A  native  of  the  Base  Settite.  —  A  Dabergoum 
Sheik  offers  to  conduct  us  to  the  Base  Settite.  —  Base  Villages  on  the  Settite. — 
Capture  of  a  Boa-constrictor.  —  Arrival  at  Haikota.  —  The  Beni-Amer's  Raid  on 
the  Base.  —  A  Visit  from  Sheik  Achmed  Ageer.  —  His  Lame  Apologies. 

We  found  our  camping-ground,  Abou  Sellal,  a  rather  pictur- 
esque spot,  situated  in  a  deep  sandy  /('//<?r  between  hills.  Crowds 
of  Base  belonging  to  some  other  village  were  there  drawing 
water,  and  did  not  seem  at  all  afraid  of  us. 

I  made  great  efforts,  both  at  this  village  and  especially  at 
Lacatecourah,  to  endeavour  to  find  out  something  more  about 
the  Base  villages,  their  names,  and  whether  there  were  really 
any  situated  on  the  Settite  above  where  we  had  been.  The 
information  I  received  was  most  contradictory,  but  I  give  it  for 
what  it  is  worth.  In  travelling  in  Africa,  one  can  only  feel 
sure  of  what  one  really  sees  with  one's  own  eyes  ;  and  native 
report, "  that  one  reads  so  much  about  in  African  books  of 
travel,  must  be  taken  very  much  cum  grano. 

My  experience  of  the  inhabitants  of  Africa  I  have  come 
across  is,  that  they  will  frequently  lie  for  the  mere  pleasure  (for 
to  them,  I  suppose,  it  is  a  pleasure)  of  lying ;  and  they  will 
often  do  so  when  there  is,  apparently,  -  nothing  to  be  gained 
by  it. 

The  moot-question,  of  whether  any  Base  have  permanent  habi- 
tations on  the  Settite,  or  not,  will,  I  believe,  never  be  settled 
by  us.    My  impression  is,  however,  that  they  have  villages, 

211 


2  12 


BASE  VILLAGES, 


either  close  to  the  river,  or  at  a  very  short  distance  back  from 
it.  They  always  build  their  villages  on  hills  ;  and  the  country 
above  Khor  Meheteb  is  suitable  for  them  in  this  respect,  as 
there  are  hills  on  both  banks  of  the  river,  generally  close  to  it, 
besides  hills  standing  back  at  some  distance.  It  is  not  at  all 
unlikely,  however,  that  the  Abyssinians  have  forced  them  to 
abandon  some  of  their  villages,  as,  we  were  told,  had  lately 
been  the  case.  In  answer  to  my  numerous  inquiries,  I  was  told 
that  Toansar  and  Beergayla  were  both  on  the  river.  There  is 
no  doubt  that  there  are  such  places,  and  that  they  are  Base 
villages.  One  man  declared  that  the  former  was  two  days'  jour- 
ney from  Lacatecourah  ;  another,  five. 

There  was  a  path  running  into  ours,  on  our  way  from  Khor 
Meheteb,  which  one  authority  said  led  into  Abyssinia,  and  was 
used  by  the  Abyssinians  when  they  organised  raids  against  La- 
catecourah ;  another  stated  that  it  merely  led  to  another  Base 
village,  now  deserted,  and  that  the  inhabitants  had  fled  to  La- 
catecourah, on  account  of  the  too  close  proximity  of  Abyssinia 
being  disagreeable  for  them. 

I  told  Suleiman  to  be  on  the  look-out  for  ''information  "  about 
the  Base  for  me ;  and  at  Abou  Sellal  he  informed  me  that  a 
man  had  arrived  on  the  scene  from  this  very  debatable  "  Base 
Settite."  He  had  a  long  yarn  to  spin,  and  was  most  communi- 
cative. His  story  (which,  in  part,  we  had  heard  before)  was  to 
the  effect  that  some  Sogada  people  had  stolen  five  women  from 
a  Base  village  called  Dabergoum. 

In  these  countries,  the  fair  —  or  what  I  should  perhaps  term 
the  dusky  —  sex  are  regarded  as  property,  and  are  looked  upon 
in  much  the  same  light  as  so  many  head  of  cattle  or  sheep. 
Dabergoum  he  described  as  on  the  Settite,  the  nearest  Base 
village  up  the  river  above  Khor  Meheteb.  He  told  us  that  his 
father  came  from  Haikota,  but  that  his  mother  was  a  Sogada 


BASE  VILLAGES. 


213 


lady ;  and  that  he  had  been  sent  by  the  Egyptian  Government  to 
endeavour  to  extort  taxes  from  Sogada,  Lacatecourah,  and  two 
other  villages.  What  they  could  possibly  pay,  I  cannot  ima- 
gine, as  poorer  people  could  not  easily  be  found.  If  his  story 
were  true,  which  I  doubt,  he  would  probably  endeavour  to  cajole 
the  people  into  paying  something,  by  promising  them  various 
advantages  if  they  complied  with  his  demands,  and  threatening 
them  with  what  would  happen  if  they  did  not.  He  said  he  had 
sent  to  Dabergoum,  to  tell  them  that,  if  they  would  send  to 
Sogada  for  them,  the  women  would  be  restored  to  their  right- 
ful lords. 

We  were  shown  a  man,  said  to  be  a  sheik  of  Dabergoum,  on 
his  way  to  Sogada  to  fetch  the  ladies,  and  who,  hearing  of  the 
presents  that  other  Base  had  received  from  us,  came  to  make 
our  acquaintance,  and  offered,  if  we  would  turn  back,  to  take 
us  to  that  mystic  region,  the  "Base  Settite."  He  described 
the  shooting  there  as  good,  and  said  that  there  were  ten  villages 
between  the  Hamran  country  and  Abyssinia,  all  of  which  paid 
taxes  to  King  John.  Some  of  these  villages,  he  told  us,  were 
on  the  river,  others  some  distance  off  in  the  mountains,  but 
all  situated  on  the  right  bank.  Toansar  and  Beergayla  were 
absolutely  on  tl^e  river.  Dabergoum  was  four  days'  journey 
from  Meheteb,  but  there  were  Abyssinians  dwelling  half-way 
between. 

He  gave  me  the  following  names  of  ten  villages,  which  I  give, 
as  nearly  as  I  could  catch  the  names,  and  the  order  in  which 
they  come,  beginning  from  Meheteb.  The  first  two  are  off  the 
river  in  the  mountains.  Dabergoum,  Tola,  Takerlumba,  Beer- 
gayla, Ownseba,  Usaba,  Fora,  Toansar,  Kundigayla,  Anala.  I 
think  this  information  is  very  likely  pretty  correct,  and  it  im- 
pressed me  at  the  time  as  having  the  air  of  truth  about  it. 

Only  two  days  before  our  arrival  at  Abou  Sellal,  some  ele- 


214 


A  BOA-CONSTRICTOR  KILLED. 


phants  had  passed,  and  one  had  been  killed  close  to  our  camp ; 
there  was  no  mistake  about  it,  as  we  saw  the  remains  of  its 
skeleton  quite  fresh. 

The  next  day's  march  took  us  to  Sogada,  and  we  encamped 
on  the  same  spot  we  had  chosen  in  going  south.  It  was  a  long 
day's  journey,  and  some  of  the  men  lagged  behind  with  their 
camels,  and  lost  themselves  again.  We  made  one  halt  before 
reaching  Haikota,  choosing  Fahncoob  again  as  a  camping- 
ground. 

On  our  way  we  came  across  the  trail  of  a  snake,  which  we 
followed;  and,  after  tracking  it  for  some  time,  we  discovered 
a  boa-constrictor,  ten  feet  long,  curled  up  under  a  /'///<7r-bush, 
which  we  shot  with  a  revolver.  We  preserved  the  skin.  It 
was  the  only  one  we  ever  came  upon,  though  we  not  infre- 
quently saw  their  marks  on  the  ground,  and  sometimes  traced 
them  a  long  way. 

On  March  27  we  were  back  at  Haikota  again,  for  the  third 
time.  We  heard  full  particulars  of  the  raid  made  by  the  people 
of  that  place  on  the  Base  at  Sarcelle  ;  and  I  give  them  as  they 
were  given  to  me  by  some  of  the  Beni-Amers  that  we  had 
with  us,  and  who  represented  themselves  as  being  present  at 
the  time.  I  fully  believe  the  main  details  of  the  story.  Those 
who  told  us  about  it  considered  that  they  had  behaved  in  a 
perfectly  humane  and  natural  manner,  and  never  doubted  for 
a  moment  but  that  we  should  think  so  too. 

Sarcelle  is  a  large  village,  and,  like  most  Base  villages,  built 
on  a  hill.  As  soon  as  the  Beni-Amers  made  their  appearance, 
the  inhabitants  retreated  into  a  cave  in  the  mountain,  which 
their  enemies  immediately  surrounded.  After  standing  a  siege 
of  four  or  five  days,  five  Base  men  emerged  from  the  cave,  as 
they  were  getting  pressed  for  food  and  water ;  and  these  men 
were  no  sooner  §een,  than  they  were  killed  by  spears.  The 


ACHMED  AGEEJrS  EXCUSES. 


215 


next  day  four  women  and  two  men  appeared  ;  the  former  they 
kepi,,  but  killed  the  men.  As  fast  as  any  people  appeared,  if 
men,  they  were  killed  ;  if  women,  or  quite  young  children,  they 
were  made  prisoners.  Many  died  of  hunger  and  thirst  in  the 
cave ;  but  between  one  and  two  hundred  men  were  put  to 
death,  while  upwards  of  a  hundred  and  sixty  women,  as  well 
as  a  great  number  of  children,  were  taken  off.  The  women 
were  apportioned  out  as  slaves  or  wives  ;  what  became  of  the 
children,  I  did  not  learn  ;  but  we  saw  some  of  the  women  on  our 
return  to  Haikota,  and  others,  we  were  told,  had  been  sent  off 
to  other  villages.  The  Base  women  look  very  strong,  and 
appear  to  do  most  of  the  hard  work. 

We  reached  Haikota  before  our  caravan  ;  and  while  we  were 
at  luncheon  in  the  zariba  of  the  German,  who  we  found  had 
fled.  Sheik  Achmed  Ageer  arrived  to  pay  us  a  visit.  He  en- 
deavoured to  appear  as  though  nothing  had  happened  to  dis- 
please us,  ]put  his  manner  was  evidently  constrained.  We 
taxed  him  with  his  duplicity,  and  told  him  how  indignant  we 
were  with  him  for  having  deceived  us.  His  excuses  were  very 
lame  ;  and  he  tried  to  throw  the  blame  on  Mahomet  Salee,  to 
whom  he  declared  he  had  given  instructions  to  take  us  to 
Lacatecourah  in  the  first  instance,  and  there  arrange  with  the 
sheik  to  go  on  to  Toansar  and  Beergayla.  He  acknowledged 
that  these  were  Base  villages,  and  that  both  they  and  other 
villages  were  on  the  Settite.  His  throwing  the  whole  blame 
on  Mahomet  Salee  was  of  course  nonsense ;  as  the  latter  acted 
under  his  orders,  whatever  they  were,  and  dared  not  disregard 
them. 

Of  the  five  sick  camels  that  we  had  left  behind  in  his  care, 
he  said  that  two  had  died  from  snake-bite,  and  that  the  other 
three  were  well.  When  they  made  their  appearance,  however, 
we  found  that  they  were  very  far  from  well ;  and,  although  we 


2l6 


HALT  AT  HAIKOTA. 


started  with  them,  none  reached  the  coast.  One  died  on  the 
first  or  second  day's  march ;  and  the  others  we  gave  away,  in 
hopes  that  they  might  pick  up  if  given  a  further  rest.  Prob- 
ably the  two  that  had  died  from  snake-bite  "  were  the  only 
two  that  had  sufficiently  recovered  to  be  of  much  use,  and  had 
been  appropriated  by  the  sheik  himself.  We  told  him  that  we 
should  require  to  hire  some  more  camels  to  go  to  the  coast ; 
and  these  he  promised  to  get  for  us  in  a  day  or  two. 

The  two  following  days  we  spent  at  Haikota,  arranging  for  a 
start.  We  went  out  partridge  shooting,  but  with  indifferent 
success.  When  we  left  for  the  Settite,  there  had  been  plenty 
of  grass  about ;  but,  on  our  return,  we  found  that  for  miles 
around,  it  was  all  eaten  up,  —  every  blade  of  it,  —  by  the  flocks 
and  herds  of  the  Arabs.  In  this,  those  of  the  Beni-Amers 
had  been  assisted  by  the  animals  of  other  tribes.  And  the 
sheik  told  us  that  he  had  lately  been  paid  six  hundred  sheep  as 
a  tax  by  Sheik  Moosa's  people  (the  Hadendowa  sheik)  for  allow- 
ing their  sheep  to  graze  on  his  land. 

Achmed  Ageer  was  most  anxious  to  make  friends  with  us 
again,  and  hung  about  the  camp  all  day.  He  stated  that  he 
was  sending  Mahomet  Salee  off  to  Gedariff  (a  large  place,  some 
days'  journey  off,  to  the  south-west)  ;  and  the  latter  came  to  us 
one  evening  while  we  were  at  dinner,  apparently  in  a  great 
state  of  mind,  and  told  us  that  he  had  only  done  what  the  sheik 
had  told  him  to  do,  and  begged  us  to  take  him  with  us  to 
Massawa.  We  told  him,  however,  that  we  could  not  forgive 
his  duplicity ;  and  declined  to  have  any  thing  further  to  do 
with  him. 

All  the  camel-drivers  we  had  brought  from  Cassala,  as  well 
as  the  boys  who  had  charge  of  the  horses,  declined  to  go  any 
farther,  and  wanted  to  go  home ;  the  only  exception  being 
En-noor,  —  a  boy  we  had  engaged  at  Cassala  to  help  look 


BACK  AT  TOADELOOK, 


after  the  horses.  He  was  a  great  friend  of  Achmet's,  whom  I 
have  mentioned  as  being  so  good  a  tracker.  Achmet  had  come 
with  us  all  the  way  from  Souakim,  and  had  stuck  to  us  when 
his  companions  left  on  our  arrival  at  Cassala ;  and  we  promised 
to  take  him  with  us  by  sea  from  Massawa  to  Souakim,  as  well 
as  En-noor,  if  he  wished  to  go. 

I  should  further  mention  an  exception  among  the  camel- 
drivers.  Yacoub,  a  poor  boy  who  suffered  dreadfully  from 
guinea-worm  in  the  leg,  was  anxious  to  go  with  us.  He  would 
never  allow  the  doctor  to  try  an  operation,  but  twice  permitted 
him  to  draw  off  the  matter  that  used  to  accumulate  about  the 
knee-joint ;  after  which,  for  some  time,  he  was  able  to  go  about 
and  look  after  his  camels,  apparently  without  pain. 

Most  of  the  camel-drivers  we  should  have  dismissed  at  Hai- 
kota,  whether  they  had  wished  to  go  or  not  ;  for  a  more  idle, 
incompetent  set  of  fellows  it  would  be  difficult  to  find.  The 
head  man  among  them,  although  knowing  very  little  about 
camels  and  their  ailments,  worked  very  hard  all  the  time,  and 
did  his  best  for  us.  We  rewarded  him  by  giving  him  a  horse 
that  was  not  worth  taking  on  any  farther.  Colvin's  horse,  the 
"Wandering  Monk,"  had  previously  made  the  sheik  of  Sogada 
happy  for  life.  Sheik  Achmed  Ageer  was  anxious  to  buy  Lort 
Phillips's  riding-camel,  for  which  he  began  by  offering  him  five 
dollars  and  an  old  camel  that  was  quite  worthless,  and  ended  by 
offering  thirty-five  dollars  ;  but  he  would  not  part  with  it. 

On  the  30th  we  moved  on  to  Toadelook,  our  old  quarters. 
From  there  the  road  turns  off  to  Amedeb,  for  which  place  we 
were  bound  ;  and,  having  two  or  three  days  longer  to  wait,  we 
thought  we  could  not  better  employ  our  time  than  by  waiting 
there.  It  seemed,  too,  to  be  a  last  and  decidedly  favourable 
opportunity  for  adding  a  lion  to  our  bag,  as  the  moon  was  full, 
and  the  Arabs  declared  that  there  were  plenty  of  these  ani- 


2i8  MORE  EXCUSES  FROM  THE  SHEIK. 


mals  in  the  neighbourhood,  attracted  by  the  immense  herds  of 
cattle  there  at  the  time. 

We  managed  to  move  nearly  all  our  luggage  with  us,  but 
knew  that  on  our  arrival  at  Amedeb  we  should  lose  the  six 
camels  we  had  hired  from  that  place.  Originally  we  had  had 
eight,  but  two  had  died.  For  such  a  long  journey,  it  was,  more- 
over, prudent  to  travel  lightly  laden,  and  have  a  spare  camel  or 
two  so  as  to  avoid  delays  m  route.  My  horse  had  completely 
given  in,  a  frightfully  sore  back  preventing  the  possibility  of 
his  being  ridden.  For  a  long  journey,  however,  I  far  prefer  a 
camel,  so  that  in  any  case  I  should  have  kept  one  for  my  own 
riding. 

The  sheik  was  greatly  offended,  because  on  his  coming  to  us 
in  the  morning,  to  ask  whether  he  should  accompany  us  to 
Toadelook,  I  answered  that  he  might  do  as  he  liked,  and  also 
declined  his  offer  of  more  goats  for  the  journey.  He  wished 
us  to  leave  behind  any  that  were  not  giving  a  good  supply  of 
milk,  saying  he  would  change  them  for  those  that  were.  This 
opened  up  the  old  sore  about  the  Settite,  and  caused  him  to 
spin  another  yarn.  He  declared  that  it  was  eight  or  nine  years 
since  he  had  been  there,  and  that  then  he  went  to  fight  the 
inhabitants  of  Toansar  and  Beergayla ;  that  he  had  told  Ma- 
homet Salee  to  arrange  for  us  with  the  inhabitants  of  Lacate- 
courah,  as  the  Sogada  people  had  nothing  to  do  with  those  on 
the  river,  and  the  others  had.  He  said  that  Mahomet  Salee 
had  been  afraid  to  go ;  he  was  from  Cassala,  and  had  only 
been  three  months  at  Haikota,  and  had  told  him  that  he  was 
thoroughly  conversant  with  the  Settite  above  Khor  Meheteb. 
He  further  stated  that  our  servants  and  camel-drivers  had  all 
been  afraid  to  go,  and  had  urged  this  on  Mahomet  Salee. 

We  took  all  this  for  what  it  was  w^orth,  though  there  was  no 
doubt  as  to  the  truth  of  the  latter  statement.    We  had  not 


PLAUSIBLE  PROMLSES. 


219 


been  nearly  careful  enough  in  making  our  arrangements  with 
Sheik  Achmed  Ageer  before  starting.  The  fact  was,  that,  as 
he  had  done  what  we  wanted  him  to  do  for  us  on  our  first  expe- 
dition, we  had  had  no  reason  to  doubt  that  he  would  be  equally 
sincere  and  truthful  in  his  statements  about  the  Settite.  We 
should  have  told  him  in  the  first  instance,  that  we  would  only 
pay  for  his  guides  on  condition  that  they  took  us  to  some  defi- 
nite place,  such  as  Toansar  or  Beergayla ;  and,  had  we  done  so, 
I  am  pretty  confident  that  we  should  have  got  there. 

The  sheik  declared  that  the  people  in  those  places  would 
have  been  glad  to .  see  us,  that  the  shooting  there  was  very 
good,  and  that  the  previous  year  some  of  his  own  people  had 
been  there  in  pursuit  of  game.  I  have  no  doubt  that  our 
expedition  up  the  Mareb  opened  up  the  country  there  very 
much  for  his  hunters.  He  said  that  in  a  month's  time  Bay- 
rumphy,  with  some  of  his  hunters,  intended  going  to  Sheik 
Kudul,  who  would  make  an  arrangement  for  them  with  the 
chief  of  Addy  Abou  in  Abyssinian  territory,  enabling  them  to 
shoot  elephants  between  that  part  and  Gebel  Bokutan.  He 
was  most  anxious  that  we  should  come  out  to  his  country 
another  winter ;  and  promised,  if  we  would  write  to  him  in  ad- 
vance, or  telegraph  even  to  Cassala,  from  whence  the  message 
would  be  forwarded,  to  make  arrangements  for  us  both  with 
the  Base  and  Abyssinians.  I  should  not,  however,  care  to  trust 
him  again  ;  and  if  we  decide  on  visiting  that  part  of  the  coun- 
try another  time,  we  should  prefer  to  try  it  from  the  Abyssinian 
side,  going  in  from  Massawa. 

We  half  accepted  his  apologies,  and  consented  to  his  accom- 
panying us  on  our  journey  to  Toadelook.  It  was  long  after  dark 
before  we  arrived,  owing  to  a  late  start ;  and  we  pitched  our 
tents  on  the  old  spot  above  the  river's  bed. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


Immense  Flocks  and  Herds.  —  Night  Watch  for  Liors. — Two  Panthers  killed. 
—  Two  Lions  bagged.  —  The  Camp  moves  on.  —  Religion  of  the  Base.  —  Origin 
of  various  African  Tribes. 

I  NEVER  saw  any  thing  like  the  flocks  and  herds  that  were  in 
the  country.  Cattle,  sheep,  and  goats  were  there  in  thousands. 
We  were  told  there  were  over  five  thousand  head  of  cattle 
alone,  and  the  number  of  sheep  and  goats  must  have  been  far 
greater.  In  a  country  like  this,  the  labour  of  watering  these 
large  flocks  and  herds  is  very  great.  Wells  have  to  be  dug  in 
the  bed  of  the  kJior^  often  to  the  depth  of  from  ten  to  twenty 
feet,  with  the  hands,  for  they  possess  no  such  implements  as 
spades  ;  and,  to  prevent  the  soft  sand  from  falling  in,  they  have 
to  be  lined  with  boughs,  palm-leaves,  etc.  When  the  wells  are 
finished,  a  quantity  of  dry  clay  is  brought  from  the  banks  ;  and 
after  being  carefully  kneaded  and  puddled,  it  is  finally  made 
into  huge  basins  with  raised  sides,  much  resembling  sponge- 
baths.  These  basins  are,  of  course,  made  at  the  mouth  of  the 
wells,  and  filled  with  water.  When  the  cattle  and  goats  arrive, 
instead  of  rushing  immediately  in  a  body  to  quench  their 
thirst,  which  would  of  course  result  in  the  trampling-down  and 
destruction  of  these  clay  drinking-troughs,  the  animals  are 
trained  to  approach  the  water  in  turn,  no  more  being  allowed 
to  go  at  a  time  than  can  conveniently  drink  together.  It  was 
a  most  curious  and  interesting  sight  to  watch  ;  and,  if  I  had  not 
seen  it  with  my  own  eyes,  I  should  be  slow  to  believe  that 

220 


PLANNING  NIGHT  WATCHES. 


221 


these  vast  herds  could  be  kept  under  such  control.  The  Arab 
shepherds,  instead  of  driving,  "lead  their  flocks  and  all  carry 
the  proverbial  crook,  which  in  their  case  is  used  to  shake  down 
the  dry  pods  of  the  mimosa,  and  the  fruit  of  the  Jieglcck  and 
nebbuk  trees,  of  all  of  which  the  sheep  and  goats  are  very  fond. 

We  heard  lions  roaring  at  night ;  but  as  it  was  late,  and  we 
were  all  tired,  we  decided  to  wait  till  the  morrow  before  going 
after  them.  The  next  morninc:  we  arran^red  that  four  of  us 
should  spend  the  night  in  different  places,  on  the  watch  for 
them  ;  and  that  the  remaining  two  should  pass  it  at  a  place  in 
the  mountains,  called  Hademdumi,  where  there  was  some  water 
in  a  narrow  kJior,  and  where  we  were  told  we  should  have  a  very 
good  chance.  None  of  us  had  ever  been  there,  and  we  drew 
lots  who  should  go  ;  the  choice  fell  on  Lort  Phillips  and  myself. 

We  started  off  in  a  south-west  direction,  and,  after  going 
for  some  twelve  or  fourteen  miles,  found  ourselves  at  our  desti- 
nation. The  water  was  no  more  than  a  good-sized  well  dug 
by  the  Arabs  in  the  bed  of  the  kJior,  and  filled  to  a  level  with 
it  ;  and  there  was  plenty  of  tall  dried  grass  in  the  neighbour- 
hood. The  Beni-Amens  had  not  yet  moved  there  with  their 
flocks,  but  intended  doing  so  as  soon  as  they  had  exhausted 
the  grass  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Toadclook. 

We  were  disappointed  at  finding  some  Haikota  people  near 
there.  They  had  constructed  a  good-sized  ambush  out  of  the 
leaves  of  the  dJioiivi-^-^m.,  on  the  bank  beneath  a  tree,  just 
over  the  water,  and  four  or  five  feet  above  it.  The  previous 
night,  one  of  them  had  killed  the  largest  bull  buffalo  I  think  I 
ever  saw,  close  by  the  water  ;  he  had  come  down  to  drink. 
We  were  told,  that,  after  the  buffalo  had  been  killed,  a  lion 
had  made  his  appearance,  but  had  left  without  their  having 
fired  at  him. 

We  were  of  course  far  more  anxious  to  shoot  a  lion  than  a 


SHOTS  AT  UNKJVOJVN  ANIMALS. 


buffalo.  We  saw  at  once,  that,  with  such  a  smell  of  flesh 
about,  there  was  no  chance  of  a  buffalo  or  a  giraffe  approaching 
the  water.  They  had  already  cut  the  flesh  of  the  buffalo  into 
strips,  with  which  the  bushes  were  covered.  After  discussing 
some  luncheon  inside  the  hollow  trunk  of  an  immense  baobab- 
tree,  I  sallied  forth  to  try  and  secure  an  antelope  as  bait : 
after  a  long  stalk  I  luckily  shot  a  large  bull  This  we 

dragged  to  within  about  forty  yards  of  our  shelter,  where  we 
proposed  passing  the  night.  Soon  after  dark  we  ensconced 
ourselves  inside  the  ambush.  The  moon  was  very  brilliant, 
and  it  was  most  exciting  work  watching  for  the  lion  we  hoped 
might  appear.  Our  first  visitors  consisted  of  three  little  jack- 
als ;  and  we  heard  them  barking  in  the  bushes,  very  like  dogs, 
some  time  before  they  ventured  to  approach  the  water.  When 
they  did  appear,  we  did  not  disturb  them  ;  but  watched  them 
as  they  drank  at  the  well,  and  tore  at  the  carcase,  barking  all 
the  while.  When  they  had  eaten  and  drunk  their  fill,  they 
took  their  departure  ;  and  in  about  ten  minutes  more  a  far 
larger  animal  made  its  appearance.  We  took  it  to  be  a  leo- 
pard or  a  panther.  Lort  Phillips  fired,  but  unluckily  missed  ; 
and  the  animal,  uttering  an  angry  growl,  scampered  off  into 
the  bushes.  We  cursed  our  bad  luck,  and  decided  that  next 
time  we  would  both  fire  together.  Another  quarter  of  an  hour 
had  barely  elapsed,  before  the  same  animal  returned.  Both 
fired  ;  it  stood  still  for  a  second,  and  we  feared  we  had  missed 
again.  Then  it  made  for  the  bank,  which,  we  could  hear  by  its 
cries,  it  was  not  able  to  ascend,  and  it  lay  all  night  in  the  khor. 
We  felt  sure  that  the  leopard,  or  whatever  it  might  be,  was 
mortally  wounded,  as  we  could  occasionally  hear  it  groan  ;  and 
we  felt  confident  that  we  should  secure  it  in  the  morning. 
Another  hour  of  anxious  watching,  and  what  we  took  for  a  lion 
made  its  appearance. 


TtVO  PANTHERS  BAGGED. 


It  is  very  difficult  to  judge  of  animals  in  the  moonlight,  as  it 
has  the  effect  of  making  them  look  nearly  double  their  size. 
Our  new  friend  roared,  as  we  thought,  just  like  a  lion,  and  was 
answered  by  angry  growls  from  the  wounded  animal  by  the 
bank.  As  soon  as  he  got  broadside  to  the  carcass,  we  both 
fired ;  with  a  roar,  he  sprang  up  the  side,  into  the  dhoiLm-^2\m 
bushes,  without  giving  us  the  chance  of  another  shot.  There 
we  heard  him  groan,  every  now  and  then,  throughout  the  night. 
We  quite  thought  we  had  shot  a  lion  and  a  lioness  ;  we  felt 
sure  the  second  was  a  lion,  and  that  the  first,  which  we  had 
taken  for  a  leopard,  must  be  his  mate. 

No  more  beasts  of  the  forest  visited  us  that  night ;  and,  as 
soon  as  day  dawned,  we  descended  from  our  perch,  to  see  the 
result  of  the  night's  work.  We  found  the  first  beast  was  a 
small  male  panther ;  and  after  first  carefully  ascertaining  that 
the  "lion,"  as  we  felt  sure  it  was,  had  not  gone  through  the 
bushes,  and  up  the  bank  above  them,  we  searched  for  traces 
of  blood,  which  we  soon  found  in  abundance.  We  were  not 
long  in  tracking  our  ''lion;"  which  proved,  to  our  disappoint- 
ment, to  be  a  large  panther,  lying  quite  dead  in  the  bushes. 
We  had  both  hit  each  panther,  so  we  took  one  apiece  ;  and, 
having  cleaned  them,  we  put  them  on  a  camel,  that  we  might 
take  them  to  camp  as  they  were.  On  our  way  back,  I  left 
Lort  Phillips  to  go  on  with  the  panthers,  and  turned  off  to  the 
right,  taking  an  Arab  with  me,  in  the  hope  of  seeing  some 
game.  I  came  across  the  marks  of  several  giraffes  :  the  coun- 
try looked  perfect  for  them,  —  plenty  of  covert,  and  any  number 
of  green  trees.  I  had  a  shot  at  a  large  kind  of  wildcat,  which 
I  missed  ;  and  then  climbed  to  the  top  of  a  hill  to  view  the 
surrounding  country,  in  the  hope  of  seeing  game.  I  had  no 
sooner  reached  the  top,  than  I  espied  a  lion  lying  under  the 
shade  of  a  tree,  at  about  two  or  three  hundred  yards  distance. 


224 


TWO  LIONS  BAGGED. 


Carefully  taking  its  bearings,  I  lost  no  time  in  descending,  in 
the  hope  of  a  shot ;  in  this,  however,  I  was  disappointed,  for  I 
never  saw  it  again.  The  animal  must  have  seen  me  on  the 
hill,  and  made  off.  Unluckily,  the  ground  was  so  hard  and 
stony,  that  its  feet  had  left  no  impression;  but  in  any  case, 
it  would,  most  likely,  have  betaken  itself  to  some  thick  covert, 
where  I  should  have  lost  all  trace  of  it.  This  was  the  first 
lion  I  had  seen  this  year ;  for  I  did  not  get  a  glimpse  of  those 
I  went  after  with  Lort  Phillips  and  Aylmer,  on  the  Settite. 
The  only  other  I  saw  during  my  travels  in  Africa  was  at  Fur- 
fur, on  the  borders  of  the  Dembelas  country ;  and  on  that  occa- 
sion, also,  none  of  us  obtained  a  shot. 

Before  arriving  in  camp,  I  heard  that  the  others  had  shot 
two  lions  ;  and,  on  getting  there,  I  was  delighted  to  find  the 
news  was  true.  My  brothers  were  the  fortunate  sportsmen, 
each  having  bagged  one.  All  four  of  the  party  that  had  re- 
mained at  Toadelook  had  spent  the  night  in  watching;  they  had 
each  chosen  a  different  spot,  near  where  they  imagined,  from 
the  tracks  they  found,  the  lions  might  pass  on  their  way  to 
drink  at  the  water.  They  had  made  small  zaribas  under 
bushes,  in  which  they  sat,  each  with  a  native  holding  a  spare 
rifle.  Immediately  in  front  of  the  zariba,  a  sheep  was  tied  as 
bait,  without  the  game.  Neither  Aylmer  nor  Colvin  was  for- 
tunate  enough  to  see  any  lions,  though  they  were  roaring  round 
them  all  night.  My  brother  Arthur  posted  himself  near  the 
water,  and  William  beneath  a  bush  in  an  open  space,  to  which 
paths  frequented  by  lions  led  in  all  directions ;  and  he  had  in 
fact,  that  very  morning,  seen  the  tracks  of  five,  passing  close  by 
the  bush  he  selected  to  sit  under. 

It  is  difficult  for  any  one,  who  has  not  had  personal  experi- 
ence of  this  kind  of  sport,  to  realize  adequately,  how  exciting  it 
all  is.    Even  buffalo-shooting  at  night  is  sufficiently  attractive ; 


EXCITEMENT  OF  LION  BUNTING. 


225 


but  the  excitement  is  tenfold  increased,  when  the  roar  of  the 
king  of  beasts  is  heard,  growing  louder  as  he  approaches  the 
hiding-place  of  the  watchers.  Then  the  rifle  is  grasped  with 
firmer  grip,  as  with  beating  heart,  and  finger  on  trigger,  the 
sportsman  watches  the  trembling  sheep  tugging  and  straining 
at  its  rope,  in  vain  endeavour  to  escape  from  the  shadowy  form 
and  gleaming  eyes,  which,  though  hidden  as  yet  from  the  eager 
gaze  of  the  hunter  by  intervening  bushes,  are  only  too  plainly 
visible  to  the  intended  victim.  An  instant  of  intense  sus- 
pense, and  then  with  a  deep  growl  the  lion  launches  himself 
upon  his  prey.  Now  is  the  supreme  moment !  a  quick  shot 
followed  by  a  cloud  of  dust  often  rendering  a  second  impossible, 
and  for  a  moment  it  is  difficult  to  determine  how  the  game  is 
going.  Is  he  dead,  or  mortally  wounded }  in  full  retreat,  or 
blindly  charging  his  assailant,  separated  from  him  by  only  a 
few  feet } 

During  the  night  my  brother  William  saw  no  less  than  six 
lions,  at  two  of  which  he  fired ;  the  others  made  off  without 
giving  him  the  chance  of  a  shot.  Of  these  six,  five  paid  him  a 
visit  at  the  same  time,  and  this  troop  stood  under  a  tree  too 
far  off  for  him  to  fire  in  the  uncertain  moonlight ;  suddenly 
one  of  them,  with  a  tremendous  rush  and  a  low  roar,  sprang  on 
the  sheep.  He  fired,  and  knocked  it  over ;  but  it  recovered 
Itself,  and  made  off  for  the  bushes,  where  it  lay  groaning.  Very 
shortly  after,  another  lion  made  its  appearance,  and  stood  gazing 
at  the  sheep.    Feeling  that  he  had  fired  too  quickly  before,  he 

*  determined  to  reserve  his  fire  until  the  lion  should  be  quite 

•  close  to  him.  Suddenly,  however,  with  an  angry  growl,  the 
beast  turned  sharply  round,  and  galloped  off.  My  brother 
naturally  felt  much  annoyed,  that  he  had  not  fired,  and  feared 
that  he  would  not  get  another  chance  that  night.  Luckily, 
however,  in  a  very  short  time  the  lion  returned  to  the  very 


226 


SUCCESSFUL  SHOTS. 


same  spot,  about  forty  yards  from  where  he  was  sitting,  and 
was  evidently  puzzled  to  make  out  who  or  what  h^  was.  Rais- 
ing his  rifle,  my  brother  took  a  steady  shot  at  the  centre  of  his 
chest.  With  a  roar  of  pain  the  lion  made  off  for  some  dwarf 
dhoitiH-^dXm  bushes  close  by,  where  both  he  and  the  other, 
which  had  been  wounded,  remained  all  night,  and  from  time  to 
time  could  be  heard  groaning.  In  the  morning,  as  soon  as  it 
was  daylight,  the  others,  who  had  heard  the  shots  in  the 
night,  came  to  see  what  had  happened.  They  could  hear  one 
of  the  lions  still  groaning  in  the  bushes,  and  surrounded  him, 
throwing  stones  to  induce  him  to  rush  out.  They  could  not 
move  him  in  this  way ;  so,  carefully  advancing  into  the  bushes, 
they  found  him  just  expiring.  The  bullet  had  entered  the 
chest,  and,  having  traversed  the  whole  length  of  the  body,  was 
found  embedded  just  underneath  the  skin  in  one. of  his  flanks. 
The  lion  proved  to  be  a  very  fine  one,  with  a  particularly  long 
mane  for  that  part  of  Africa,  where,  as  a  rule,  their  manes  are 
rather  scanty.    He  measured  nine  feet  two  inches  in  length. 

They  then  went  in  search  of  the  other  lion,  and  found  a  pool 
of  blood,  where  it  had  been  lying  all  night.  They  tracked  it 
by  its  blood  for  some  miles,  and  caught  a  glimpse  of  it  several 
times.  It  proved  to  be  a  lioness,  and  once  they  saw  it  under  a 
tree  in  the  company  of  two  lions.  Unfortunately,  all  three 
animals  got  into  impenetrable  jungle,  and  were  never  seen 
again,  although  some  of  us  went  several  times  in  pursuit.  My 
brother  Arthur  had  seen  only  two,  —  a  lion  and  a  lioness,  — 
both  at  the  same  time.  As  he  fired  at  the  lioness,  he  only 
caught  a  glimpse  of  her  companion.  She  passed  within  two 
yards  of  where  he  was  sitting,  and  was  not  over  eight  yards  off 
when  he  fired.  In  the  morning  he  found  her  dead  and  stiff, 
about  twenty  yards  off,  shot  through  the  lungs,  and  with  a 
broken  leg. 


MORE   WATCHING  FOR  LIONS. 


227 


His  rifle  had  playctl  him  the  same  trick  as  before,  and  let  off 
both  barrels  at  once,  —  not  very  pleasant  when  shooting  lions  ; 
and  there  is  a  decided  possibility,  that,  if  the  beast  is  not  killed 
or  disabled  by  the  first  shot,  he  may  make  for  his  enemy. 

The  camels  we  were  waiting  for  arrived  on  April  i  ;  but, 
although  we  were  all  anxious  not  to  lose  much  time  in  starting 
in  the  direction  of  England,  we  put  off  our  departure  until  the 
3d,  in  order  to  have  another  chance  of  sport  with  the  lions. 
The  heat  we  found  considerably  greater  than  it  had  been  :  100° 
in  the  shade  was  quite  common,  but  the  nights  were  fortunately 
cold. 

The  night  after  their  success  with  the  lions,  my  brothers 
remained  in  camp,  w^hile  the  rest  of  us  drew  for  places,  and 
spent  the  night  ensconced  behind  zaribas,  each  one  of  us  deter- 
mined, if  possible,  to  add  a  lion  to  his  collection  of  trophies. 
Unfortunately,  none  of  us  were  successful.  One  came  so  close 
to  Aylmer,  that  it  actually  rubbed  its  sides  against  his  zariba, 
and  then,  scenting  danger,  took  itself  off  without  his  even 
seeing  it,  although  he  could,  of  course,  plainly  hear  it.  Aylmer, 
on  the  tiptoe  of  expectation,  w^as  awaiting  the  moment  when 
it  should  step  out  close  to  him  into  the  open,  when  the  native 
who  was  sitting  with  him,  holding  his  second  rifle,  and  shaking 
with  terror,  coughed  lowly,  which  alarmed  the  beast,  and  he 
made  off  at  once.  Aylmer  had  no  remarks  to  address  to  that 
Arab  gentleman  afterwards  I  This  man's  ordinary  duty  con- 
sisted in  looking  after  Aylmer's  horse  ;  but,  on  this  occasion,  he 
had  begged  to  be  allowed  to  sit  up,  and  had  declared  that  he 
would  not  be  in  the  least  frightened.  We  did  not  think  it  well 
to  let  those  Arabs  who  usually  acted  as  gun-bearers,  and  who 
had  sat  up  the  previous  night,  do  so  twice  running,  in  case 
they  should  go  to  sleep  when  wanted  ;  and  on  this  account  his 
request  had  been  granted. 


228 


A   WOUNDED  LIONESS  ESCAPES. 


Colvin  had  kept  awake  at  his  post  from  eight  o'clock  until 
after  three,  and  had  neither  heard  nor  seen  anything.  At  last 
sleep  overcame  him,  and  for  a  few  moments  he  dozed;  of 
course,  a  lion  seized  that  opportunity  to  make  his  appearance. 
George,  who  was  with  him,  saw  the  animal,  and  quickly  woke 
Colvin,  who  fired  just  as  an  immense  lion  sprang  on  the  sheep. 
He  must  have  missed  him,  as  he  disappeared  into  the  jungle  in 
a  cloud  of  dust,  dragging  the  sheep  with  him.  He  had  pulled 
the  stake  to  which  it  was  tied,  rope  and  all,  out  of  the  ground, 
and  made  off  with  his  prey.  Colvin  heard  him  crunching  the 
poor  sheep's  bones,  as  he  leisurely  devoured  it,  not  many  yards 
from  where  he  lay.  In  less  than  ten  minutes  a  lioness  made 
her  appearance,  but  did  not  approach  very  near.  Colvin  fired, 
and  hit  her.  She  made  off,  however,  into  the  high  grass  which 
grew  close  by ;  and  he  heard  her  there  for  some  time  moving 
about,  and  occasionally  roaring.  At  daybreak  he  endeavoured 
to  track  her,  but  was  not  successful ;  and  nothing  more  was  seen 
of  her. 

Lort  Phillips  did  not  even  hear  a  lion.  I  heard  one  con- 
stantly ;  but  it  was  at  the  back  of  my  zariba,  and  I  saw  nothing 
of  it.  The  next  day  none  of  us  went  far  from  camp.  My 
brother  photographed  some  vultures  that  had  been  feasting  on 
a  carcase  in  the  river's  bed,  and  were  enjoying  a  siesta  in  a 
huge  baobab-tree.  At  night  I  lay  out  in  the  hope  of  obtain- 
ing a  shot  at  a  lion,  but  was  disappointed.  I  heard  one  roaring 
once  close  to  me ;  and  I  was  greatly  excited,  as  at  every  instant 
I  imagined  he  might  pounce  on  my  sheep,  and  was  all  readi- 
ness for  a  long  time,  with  my  rifle  on  my  knees  at  full  cock. 
The  wind  was,  however,  unfortunately  wrong,  and  the  beast 
sneaked  off.  In  the  morning  I  saw  his  footprints  quite  close 
to  my  zariba,  but  concealed  from  where  I  lay  by  intervening 
bushes.    In  addition  to  the  attraction  of  the  sheep,  I  had 


CURIOUS  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  BASE,  229 


burned  some  flesh  before  taking  up  my  position,  hoping  by  the 
smell  to  render  my  bait  still  more  attractive.  I  had  chosen 
the  spot  where  my  brother  William  had  shot  his  lion. 

Aylmer,  in  going  to  his  place  near  the  water  about  eight 
o'clock,  disturbed  one  which  had  just  drunk,  or  was  going  to 
do  so ;  but  it  made  off  before  he  could  get  a  shot. 

On  the  3d  we  resolved  to  start  once  more  in  a  homeward 
direction.  Old  Sheik  Achmed  Ageer  again  saw  us  an  hour  or 
two  on  our  journey,  and  then  left  to  return  to  Haikota.  I 
made  frequent  attempts  to  find  out  if  the  Base  had  any  reli- 
gious belief,  and  every  one  I  asked  replied  in  the  negative. 
The  sheik,  who  was  quite  the  most  intelligent  of  his  class  I 
ever  met  in  the  Soudan,  persisted  in  declaring  they  had  none 
whatever ;  he  was  of  course  a  Mahometan  himself,  and  both 
read  and  wrote  Arabic  well.  He  said  they  knew  nothing  what- 
ever of  a  God,  and  he  gave  me  the  following  curious  account  of 
some  of  their  customs.  When  he  was  obliged  to  make  peace 
with  any  of  their  chiefs,  the  Base  killed  a  black  goat ;  and  both 
he  and  the  Base  sheik  with  whom  the  covenant  was  to  be 
made,  would  pluck  out  an  eye,  then  cut  off  a  hind  and  then  a 
fore  leg,  each  taking  his  part  in  the  ceremony.  By  this  they 
believe,  that,  if  either  failed  in  the  engagement  they  had  en- 
tered into,  the  defaulter  would  lose  an  eye,  leg,  or  arm. 

Another  of  their  customs  was,  that,  if  any  of  their  number 
stole  any  thing  from  his  neighbour,  the  offender,  accompanied 
by  a  numerous  contingent  from  among  his  people,  was  brought 
to  a  tree  growing  near  his  village ;  the  said  tree  being  held, 
as  it  were,  sacred.  In  order  to  prove  whether  the  accused  per- 
son had  really  stolen  any  thing,  or  not,  he  was  required  to 
pull  a  piece  of  bark  off  the  tree  without  the  aid  of  anything 
except  his  own  fingers.  If  he  succeeded  in  doing  this,  he  was 
acquitted,  and  held  innocent ;  but  if  not,  he  was  condemned, 


BASE  SUPERSTITIONS. 


as  proved  to  be  guilty,  and  punished  accordingly.  As  the  tree 
invariably  selected  for  this  purpose  was  furnished  with  very 
tough,  closely  growing  bark,  it  was  usually  almost  impossible 
to  disengage  it  with  the  fingers  alone ;  and  the  prisoner's  sen- 
tence was  generally  a  foregone  conclusion. 

Although  I  think  there  is  very  little  doubt  that  the  Bas^  are 
without  religion,  and  have  no  God,  they  must,  if  the  following 
custom  told  me  by  the  sheik  be  true,  have  some  belief  in  a 
future  state.  When  a  Base  man  dies,  his  wife,  or  other  rela- 
tions, place  something  he  was  fond  of  during  his  life  —  such  as 
the  fruit  of  the  baobab-tree,  tobacco,  etc.  —  on  his  tomb.  Per- 
haps the  wind,  or  some  human  agency,  makes  away  with  the 
offering ;  they  then  believe  that  the  dead  man  has  consumed  it, 
and  perhaps  shared  it  with  other  spirits,  inhabitants  of 
neighbouring  tombs.  Should  these  delicacies  disappear  faster 
than  the  donors  anticipated,  the  attentive  relations  of  the  dead 
man  will,  perhaps,  accuse  the  relict  of  the  inhabitant  of  a 
neighbouring  tomb,  of  being  lazy  and  inattentive  in  not  keeping 
her  husband  properly  supplied,  and  so  compelling  his  neighbour 
to  share  his  dainties  with  him.  I  give  these  stories  as  they 
were  told  me,  from  notes  made  at  the  time. 

I  told  the  sheik  that  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  Base  were  the 
remnants  of  the  original  inhabitants  of  the  country,  and  that 
they  were  settled  there  before  the  Arabs  came  over  from 
Arabia.  He  did  not  believe  this,  but  adduced  no  grounds 
either  for  or  against  my  theory.  He  told  me  there  were  two 
brothers  who  emigrated  from  Arabia  into  Africa,  one  called  Bas^, 
the  other  Nuba.  The  former  settled  where  his  descendants 
are  now  found,  but  he  knew  nothing  as  to  what  part  of  the  coun- 
try the  other  brother  had  gone  to.  According  to  him,  the 
only  remnants  of  the  original  inhabitants  of  any  part  of  the 
Soudan  that  he  had  heard  anything  of  were  reduced  to  twenty 


A  HEAVY  HAILSTORM. 


231 


or  thirty  families,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cassala.  The 
Hadendowas,  he  declared,  came  from  Dhalak,  and  other 
Red  Sea  islands ;  the  Beni-Amers  (his  tribe),  Dabainas  and 
Shukreeyehs,  from  the  Hejaz ;  and  the  Hallangas,  from 
Yemen. 

Although  he  was  intending  to  return  to  Haikota  when  he 
left  us,  he  said  he  would  soon  move  some  distance  farther 
north,  with  his  flocks  and  herds,  in  order  to  obtain  fresh  pastur- 
age ;  during  the  rainy  season,  his  people  mostly  went  to  higher 
ground  than  the  valley  of  the  Gash.  During  one  rainy  season 
some  years  ago,  he  stated  that  there  was  such  a  heavy  hailstorm 
near  Haikota,  that  the  hail  lay  on  the  ground,  nearly  a  foot 
deep,  for  seven  or  eight  days.  This  statement  we  could  hardly 
swallow,  though  very  probably  they  have  hail  there  sometimes. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


First  Day*s  Journey  towards  Amedeb.  —  A  False  Alarm.  —  Arrival  at  Amedeb.  — • 
Journey  continued.  —  Khor  Baraka. —  Another  Watch  for  Lions.  —  Thrilling 
Adventure  with  a  Lion.  —  News  of  the  stolen  Rifles  and  Horse. 

Our  first  day's  journey,  after  leaving  the  Gash,  was  about 
eighteen  miles  in  the  direction  of  Amedeb,  where  we  encamped 
in  the  plain  away  from  water.  The  country  was  very  much  like 
all  that  part  of  the  Soudan,  very  barren  and  hilly,  but  in  places 
rather  less  monotonous  travelling  than  we  had  usually  found  it 
to  be  when  leaving  rivers  or  khors  such  as  the  Gash.  We 
crossed  a  number  of  picturesque  rocky  khors^  on  the  borders  of 
which  flourished  many  large  and  fine  trees  in  full  leaf. 

There  was  a  large  Base  village  on  our  right,  some  miles  off 
from  where  we  encamped  for  the  night,  and  we  could  distinctly 
see  the  lights.  The  next  day  we  arrived  at  Amedeb,  after  a 
long  march  of  over  thirty  miles.  We  were  up  at  daybreak, 
but  could  not  get  the  camels  off  until  7.45  ;  and  it  was  11.30 
P.M.  before  we  got  dinner,  a  long  day.  The  country  through 
which  we  had  travelled  was  very  agreeable,  far  more  so  than 
we  had  expected  to  find  it.  The  road,  or  track  rather,  was  easy 
going  for  the  camels,  except  for  one  steep  stony  bit  over  a  high 
hill,  and  proved  to  be  an  infinitely  better  one  for  the  camels 
than  that  which  Lort  Phillips  and  I  had  taken  the  first  time,  we 
went  to  Amedeb. 

All  day  we  wound  between  high  hills,  and  for  a  long  time 
travelled  in  the  bed  of  a  khor  called  Mogoreb,  I  never  saw  a 
232 


A  BASE  SCARE, 


233 


greener  one.  The  numbers  of  various  brightly  plumaged  birds, 
and  the  general  appearance  of  the  country,  reminded  me  of  the 
Anseba  valley,  which  we  had  visited  the  jDrevious  year,  and 
were  again  to  pass  through  on  our  way  to  the  coast.  In  this 
khor  we  encountered  two  very  deep  wells,  situated  some  miles 
apart. 

On  this  journey  we  enjoyed  a  Base  scare.  We  had  gone  on 
some  distance  ahead  of  the  caravan,  and  suddenly  came  upon 
two  Base  drawing  water  at  a  well.  They  were  at  first  very 
much  frightened  at  us ;  but  we  soon  made  friends,  and,  riding 
on  ahead,  left  the/n.  About  an  hour  later,  one  of  our  men 
came  running  after  us  with  the  alarming  news  that  the  Base 
had  come  down  in  great  numbers  from  the  hills,  and  fallen  on 
the  caravan  in  our  rear.  We,  of  course,  all  turned  round,  and 
retraced  our  steps  at  our  camels'  best  pace ;  finding  the  whole 
thing,  as  so  often  happens  in  these  countries,  a  false  alarm. 
Before  encountering  the  caravan,  however,  it  seemed  as  though 
"the  battle"  had  begun.  Colvin  and  one  of  the  others  had 
got  on  some  distance  ahead  of  me,  when  suddenly  I  heard  a 
shot,  and  did  not  know  what  to  make  of  it.  I  renewed  my 
efforts  to  get  on  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  more  than  once  ran 
the  chance  of  being  knocked  off  my  camel  by  the  boughs  of 
overhanging  trees.  On  regaining  the  caravan,  the  mystery  of 
the  shot  was  soon  explained.  Colvin  had  put  an  end  to  the 
sufferings  of  a  camel  which  had  been  left  behind  to  die. 

The  ''attack"  was  then  explained.  The  Base,  unseen  by  us, 
had  been  watching  our  movements  from  the  adjacent  hills,  and, 
being  unaccustomed  to  see  so  large  a  caravan  marching  through 
their  country,  and  probably  never  having  seen  Europeans  before, 
were  very  naturally  frightened,  and  at  the  same  time  curious  to 
know  what  it  all  meant,  and  a  number  of  them  had  come  down 
and  followed  after  the  caravan  to  try  and  discover  what  was  up. 


234 


SAD  NEWS. 


The  two  men  we  had  previously  met  had  flourished  their  spears 
at  them,  shouting  to  them  to  keep  back,  at  the  same  time  tell- 
ing them  we  were  friends,  and  not  Turks.  On  seeing  this, 
Gerghis  and  some  of  the  other  servants  had  thought  it  neces- 
sary to  point  guns  at  them.  The  Base  shouted  out  for  some  of 
our  people  to  go  back,  and  parley  with  them,  but  this  they  were 
all  afraid  to  do ;  and  there  certainly  would  have  been  nothing 
gained  by  so  doing,  as  we  only  wished  to  travel  quickly  through 
the  country,  and  had  no  thought  of  stopping  there.  By  the 
time  we  had  returned  to  the  caravan,  all  we  saw  of  them  was 
four  men  watching  us  from  a  hill.  Soon  after  we  met  tranquil 
people  feeding  their  flocks,  and  a  number  of  them  drew  water 
'from  a  well  for  our  horses  and  goats. 

Before  reaching  Amedeb  we  passed  a  great  many  large  vil- 
lages belonging  to  the  Barea  tribe.  On  arriving  at  the  town, 
we  were  very  glad  to  find  newspapers  and  letters  for  us.  Our 
letters,  however,  contained  very  sad  news,  telling  us  of  the 
death,  in  England,  of  the  Hon.  John  Maxwell,  who  had  been 
one  of  our  party  in  the  Soudan  the  previous  winter.  Poor 
fellow,  he  had  had  some  thoughts  of  joining  us  on  our  present 
expedition,  but  had  decided  not  to  leave  England  again  so  soon  ; 
and  had  died  of  rheumatic  fever. 

Our  latest  news  from  England  was  of  Feb.  24,  and  it  was 
only  the  second  time  we  had  had  letters  since  leaving  Suez. 
We  found  that  the  Bombashi,  who  had  been  in  charge  when  I 
was  there  before,  had  gone  to  Gedariff ;  the  Bey  from  Geera,  on 
the  Settite,  being  there  in  his  stead.  He  was  most  civil,  and 
gave  us  tea,  —  a  somewhat  unusual  refreshment  to  be  offered 
in  those  parts.  We  encamped  on  the  same  spot  that  Lort 
Phillips  and  I  had  selected  when  there  on  Feb.  16;  spending 
nearly  the  whole  of  the  next  day  at  Amedeb,  which  we  found 
as  uninviting  a  place  as  I  had  previously  thought  it. 


A  LONG  JOUKNEV. 


We  telegraphed  to  England  to  say  we  were  all  well,  and  on 
our  way  to  the  coast.  This  we  had,  of  course,  to  send  in 
Arabic,  first  to  Cairo,  to  be  forwarded  from  there  to  London. 
We  also  telegraphed  to  Pere  Picard,  at  Sanheit,  to  have  some 
flour  ready  on  our  arrival  there,  so  as  to  avoid  delay ;  to  Cas- 
sala,  to  order  letters  (which  we  expected  would  be  lying  there 
for  us),  to  go  to  Souakim  ;  and,  lastly,  to  the  English  consul  at 
Suez,  asking  him  to  reply  to  Sanheit,  to  say  when  he  expected 
that  the  next  two  steamers  would  leave  Massawa  for  Suez. 

We  found  the  "shop  "  of  the  place  tenanted  by  a  Greek,  who 
had  recently  arrived ;  and  we  were  able  to  bny  German  beer, 
and  replenish  our  almost  exhausted  stock  of  sugar. 

In  the  afternoon  we  made  a  start  in  the  direction  of  Sanheit, 
and  got  about  four  miles  on  our  road,  camping  by  some  wells, 
where  there  were  plenty  of  sontA.x^^^,  abounding  in  doves,  a 
number  of  which  we  shot.  At  Amedeb  we  hired  eight  fresh 
camels,  as  several  of  ours  showed  signs  of  giving  out,  and  we 
had  lost  some  on  the  way.  Wc  sold  two,  that  were  too  tired 
to  carry  loads,  for  nineteen  dollars  ;  they  probably  recovered 
completely,  if  looked  after  properly  and  given  a  good  rest. 

The  following  day  we  made  a  long  and  very  uninteresting 
journey  of  eleven  and  a  half  hours.  Although  we  passed  wells 
in  two  places,  we  pushed  forward,  encamping  away  from  water. 
The  Arabs  objected,  as  usual,  to  our  doing  this,  as  time  is  no 
object  to  them,  and  they  do  not  care  how  long  they  take  over  a 
journey.  We  went  straight  on  past  the  wells,  leaving  a  couple 
of  camels  to  come  on  after  us  with  a  plentiful  supply. 

We  saw  no  game  all  day,  travelling  in  a  plain  where  there 
was  no  grass,  but  plenty  of  bushes,  and  crossing  occasional 
khors.  On  both  sides  of  us  there  was  a  range  of  mountains, 
some  of  them  of  considerable  height.  We  passed  two  villages, 
composed  of  mat  huts,  situated  a  long  distance  from  any  wells, 


236 


KHOR  BARAKA. 


and  met  a  number  of  donkeys  laden  with  water-skins,  evidently 
carrying  the  daily  supply. 

Two  more  camels  gave  out ;  and  we  presented  them  to  some 
Arabs,  hoping  they  might  pick  up.  The  work  our  camels  had 
to  do  was  not  too  severe,  but  we  could  not  get  them  properly 
looked  after.  The  journeys  we  took  them  were  shorter,  and 
the  loads  they  had  to  carry  less,  than  the  natives  would  have 
placed  on  their  backs ;  but  we  found  it  impossible  to  keep  them 
in  good  condition. 

The  weather  we  found  less  hot  than  it  had  been  latterly  on 
the  Gash,  and  the  nights  were  cool ;  while  in  the  afternoon 
heavy  clouds  would  sometimes  obscure  the  sun,  rendering 
travelling  much  pleasanter.  After  a  four-hours'  march,  we 
reached  a  place  called  Gargi,  situated  in  Khor  Baraka,  which 
we  had  heard  a  great  deal  about,  as  a  likely  place  for  lions. 
Gargi  consisted  of  a  movable  village  of  mat  huts,  placed  in 
the  bed  of  the  kJior. 

Khor  Baraka  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  important  in 
the  Soudan.  It  runs  from  the  Anseba  to  Tokar,  two  days' 
journey  from  Souakim.  The  previous  winter  we  had  spent 
some  time  on  it  and  some  of  its  tributaries.  It  is  bordered 
by  a  thick  fringe  of  ^//^?^/?«-palms,  and  in  many  places  is  very 
picturesque.  We  afterwards  heard  that  the  two  officers  of  the 
"Blues,"  who  had  travelled  with  us  from  Suez  to  Souakim, 
had  shot  a  lion  at  that  very  place.  One  of  them  gave  a  most 
graphic  account  of  their  adventure,  in  ''Baily's  Magazine." 
They  were  sleeping  out  in  the  open  air,  which  they  preferred 
to  a  tent,  not  very  long  before  we  encamped  in  the  same  spot ; 
and  the  night  was  very  dark.  After  having  been  asleep  about 
two  hours,  in  the  sandy  bed  of  the  kJior^  they  were  suddenly 
aroused  from  their  slumbers  by  a  horrible  shriek,  and  loud 
cries  of    Asad^  asad!''  (lion.)    Every  one  was  in  commotion 


A  LION  BAGGED. 


in  a  moment,  including  the  watchmen,  who  had  allowed  all  the 
fires,  but  one,  to  go  out.  Their  first  thought  was  that  a  goat 
or  sheep  had  been  carried  off  by  a  lion  ;  and  they  perceived 
the  shadowy  form  of  one,  walking  away  from  the  camp.  One 
of  them  fired  two  rapid  shots,  the  result  of  which  was  an 
angry  roar.  It  soon  appeared  that  it  was  not  a  sheep  or  a  goat 
that  had  been  carried  off,  but  one  of  the  natives,  who  had  been 
asleep  near  the  fire.  The  lion  had  seized  the  poor  fellow  by 
the  feet,  and  dragged  him  for  about  four  yards,  and  then  left 
him,  disturbed,  no  doubt,  by  the  man's  own  shrieks,  and  the 
shouts  of  his  companions  ;  and  thanks,  also,  to  the  plucky  and 
determined  manner  in  which  his  neighbour  had  held  on  to  him. 
The  unfortunate  man  had  both  his  feet  severely  injured  by  the 
lion's  teeth,  the  greater  part  of  the  sole  of  each  being  torn 
away,  leaving  the  bones,  however,  intact.  He  had  little  faith 
in  the  European  method  of  curing  his  wounds,  and  insisted  on 
carrying  out  his  own  method  of  treatment ;  this  consisted  in 
covering  his  wounds  with  wood-ashes,  and  placing  the  soles 
of  his  feet  as  near  as  possible  to  the  fire.  On  examining  the 
course  taken  by  the  lion  in  his  peregrinations  through  their 
camp,  they  discovered  that  he  had  passed  exactly  a  foot  and  a 
half  from  one  of  their  beds.  At  daybreak  they  followed  the 
tracks  of  the  lion,  and  soon  perceived,  by  marks  of  blood,  that 
he  was  wounded.  They  followed  him  into  a  thick  clump  of 
dhojiin-^3\ms,  where  they  heard  him  groaning.  He  quickly 
sprang  out  at  them,  receiving  another  bullet.  He  again 
retired  into  the  jungle;  and  one  of  them,  climbing  up  a  palm- 
tree,  administered  the  cottp-de-grdce. 

We  all,  with  the  exception  of  my  brothers  (who  gave  in  to  the 
rest  of  the  party,  as  they  had  both  shot  a  lion),  decided  to  lie 
out  at  night  in  the  hope  of  getting  a  shot  at  a  lion.  We  chose 
places  a  long  way  from  each  other,  on  the  banks  of  the  khor, 


AN  AMUSING  INCIDENT, 


where,  hidcten  under  the  shadow  of  the  <r///d?;/w-palms,  we  could 
look  down  on  the  sandy  bed  of  Khor  Baraka,  brilliant  in  the 
moonlight,  and  obtain  a  good  view  of  any  lion  that  might  deign 
to  visit  our  tempting  bait,  as  each  of  us  had  a  sheep  tied  up  in 
front  of  where  he  sat.  Colvin  and  I  saw  nothing  ;  though  we 
remained  at  our  posts  all  night,  and  heard  one  or  two  lions  roar 
occasionally,  but  they  never  came  near  us.  Lort  Phillips  was 
so  much  bothered  by  hyaenas,  which  would  keep  rushing  at  his 
sheep,  that,  after  firing  several  shots  at  them,  he  left,  and  went 
to  bed.  Aylmer  thought  he  saw  a  lion,  but  it  proved  to  be  a 
fine  panther ;  which  he  shot,  not,  however,  before  it  had  sprung 
on  and  killed  the  unfortunate  sheep.  He  also  shot  a  young 
striped  hyaena,  which  looked  different  from  any  specimen  we  had 
shot  before  :  it  was  nearly  white,  with  very  long  hair. 

The  next  day  we  continued  our  journey,  and  a  most  amusing 
incident  took  place.  Gerghis,  who  was  riding  in  front  of  the 
caravan,  saw  an  elephant  ahead  of  him,  which  he  thought  was 
one  of  a  herd.  As  we  were  some  distance  in  advance,  he 
turned  back,  and  begged  George,  who  was  in  the  rear,  to  shoot 
it.  Some  of  the  Arabs  got  most  excited,  and  danced  about, 
waving  their  spears  in  the  air.  Suddenly  some  men  ran  out  in 
great  excitement  from  behind  some  bushes  ;  and  it  was  then 
discovered  that  the  elephant  over  which  they  had  been  so 
excited  was  a  young  one  that  had  been  caught  at  Fur-fur,  on 
the  borders  of  the  Dembelas  country,  and  which  the  men  had 
tied  to  a  tree  while  enjoying  a  siesta.  Every  one  of  course 
burst  out  laughing,  and  Gerghis  got  greatly  chaffed  about  it. 
There  was  a  Greek  with  the  elephant,  and  a  number  of  Beni- 
Amers  Arabs  ;  among  others  a  "hunter,"  a  most  useless  fellow, 
whom  we  had  employed  the  previous  winter. 

They  told  us  that  Sheik  Arri  (with  whom  we  had  made  our 
arrangements,  the  season  before,  in  the  same  manner  that  we 


KHOR  BOGOU. 


239 


had  lately  done  with  Achmed  Ageer)  had  just  returned  from  the 
Dembelas  country,  and  that  he  had  seen  Aylmer's  and  Lort 
Phillips's  lost  rifles  ;  that  Ras  Aloula  had  them  in  his  posses- 
sion, as  well  as  the  horse.  This  was  probably  a  lie  :  they  had 
heard  of  our  affair  at  Ma  Ambasah,  and  wanted  to  say  some- 
thing about  it,  and  so  invented  this  story  on  the  spur  of  the 
moment. 

We  made  about  seventeen  miles  before  halting  for  the  night 
at  Adardee  in  Khor  Bogou.  We  passed  wells  at  three  different 
points  on  the  road,  immense  flocks  and  herds,  and  a  great  many 
people.  We  travelled  a  long  way  in  Khor  Bogou,  which  was 
very  pretty ;  in  places,  precipitous  rocks  rose  to  a  considerable 
height  on  both  banks.  We  saw  no  game  with  the  exception  of 
doves,  which  were  very  numerous,  a  number  of  which  we  shot 
for  food.  The  mountains  were  getting  higher.  The  only  thing 
wanting  in  the  landscape  was  more  verdure  ;  there  were  scarcely 
any  trees,  though  plenty  of  bushes,  while  we  regretted,  for  the 
sake  of  the  camels,  the  almost  total  absence  of  grass.  At 
Adardee  we  came  across  several  of  our  old  camel-drivers  of 
the  previous  winter,  and  engaged  one  of  them  with  his  three 
camels  to  go  on  with  us  to  Massawa. 

The  camel  question  was  constantly  recurring,  as  one  by  one 
they  dropped  off.  It  was  impossible  to  lighten  the  loads  they 
were  carrying,  and  we  gave  all  the  attention  we  could  to  seeing 
that  they  were  properly  fed  ;  many  of  them  however,  unknown 
to  us  of  course,  must  have  been  diseased  when  we  bought 
them. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


Perilous  Ascent  of  Tchad-Amba.  —  The  Church.  —  The  Monks.  —  We  move  on 
again.  —  An  Old  Acquaintance.  —  Arrival  at  Sanheit.  —  The  Town  of  Sanheit. 
—  A  Last  Attempt  to  recover  the  Stolen  Property.  —  A  Visit  to  the  Church  and 
Schools  at  Sanheit. 

We  passed  a  very  curious  mountain  named  Tchad-Amba,  which 
we  left  on  our  right.  We  had  accomplished  its  ascent  the  year 
before,  and  were,  I  believe,  the  first  white  people  to  have  done 
so,  no  Turk  or  Egyptian  even  having  previously  gained  the 
summit.  It  is  a  very  remarkable  mountain,  standing  nearly 
alone.  We  spent  some  time  at  its  foot,  and  were  told  by  our 
Arabs  that  it  was  impossible  to  climb  it  except  by  one  very 
difficult  path  known  only  to  the  Abyssinian  monks  dwelling  on 
the  top.  We  were  not  very  ambitious  of  attempting  its  ascent, 
and  had  formed  no  plan  for  doing  so  ;  when  one  day  an  Abys- 
sinian arrived  in  camp  with  a  note  from  Pere  Picard,  our  mis- 
sionary friend  of  Sanheit.  He  informed  us  in  his  letter,  that 
the  bearer  of  it  was  one  of  the  monks  who  dwelt  on  the  top  of 
the  mountain,  and  that  for  a  consideration  he  was  willing  to 
guide  us  to  its  summit.  Pere  Picard  added  that  he  strongly 
recommended  us  to  embrace  this  opportunity  of  seeing  what 
former  travellers  had  vainly  attempted  to  accomplish. 

Munzinger  Pacha,  a  former  governor  of  Sanheit  and  the 
surrounding  country,  as  well  as  a  recent  Italian  traveller,  the 
Marquis  Antinori,  had  offered  considerable  sums  to  be  per- 
mitted to  make  the  ascent ;  but  their  offers  had  been  invariably 
240 


ASCENT  OF  TCHAD-AMBA. 


241 


refused.  Before  six  o'clock  the  next  morning  we  started, 
taking  with  us,  as  porters,  an  Abyssinian  servant  named  Butros 
(Peter),  and  four  soldiers  we  had  brought  from  Sanheit.  We 
took  the  soldiers  in  preference  to  our  Arab  servants,  as  the 
latter  were  afraid  to  accompany  us. 

Our  way  led  us  up  a  very  steep  water-course,  which,  at  first 
easy  enough,  became  more  and  more  arduous  the  farther  we 
advanced.  At  length  the  smooth  boulders  of  rock,  frequently 
piled  one  on  top  of  the  other,  became  so  slippery  that  we  gladly 
followed  the  example  of  our  men,  who,  having  divested  them- 
selves of  their  sandals,  were  climbing  with  bare  feet.  At  last 
we  came  to  an  enormous  slab  of  rock,  to  surmount  which  was 
like  climbing  up  the  roof  of  a  house,  at  a  particularly  sharp 
angle,  and  with  as  dangerous  a  drop  in  case  of  a  fall.  Here 
one  of  our  water-carriers  collapsed,  absolutely  refusing  to  pro- 
ceed farther,  as  his  head  would  not  stand  it,  and  proposed  await- 
ing our  return,  as  he  felt  sure  that  we  could  not  get  up  much 
farther. 

After  climbing  for  another  half-hour,  we  were  startled  by  the 
fall  of  a  large  stone  from  above,  quickly  followed  by  others, 
which  made  us  hastily  seek  the  shelter  of  an  overhanging  ledge  ; 
where,  from  the  shouts  that  greeted  us  from  the  top  of  the 
mountain,  we  immediately  perceived  that  the  fall  of  the  rocks 
was  not  caused  by  accident,  as  we  had  at  first  imagined,  but  that 
they  were  being  hurled  at  us  with  hostile  intent.  After  a  great 
deal  of  shouting  on  both  sides,  Butros  made  our  assailants  un- 
derstand that  we  were  Christians,  and  wished  to  see  their  mon- 
astery. 

At  the  commencement  of  hostilities,  our  guide  had  endeav- 
oured to  sneak  off ;  which  so  enraged  our  soldiers  that  they 
asked  our  permission  to  shoot  him  on  the  spot,  declaring  he 
had  purposely  led  us  into  an  ambuscade.    We  quieted  them, 


242  '       KINDLY  RECEIVED  BY  THE  MONKS, 


however,  by  telling  him  that  we  would  surely  shoot  him  if  he 
again  attempted  to  desert  us. 

After  a  consultation  as  to  what  was  to  be  done,  we  decided  on 
continuing  the  ascent.  We  were  unwilling  to  be  beaten ;  and 
moreover,  owing  to  the  formation  of  the  mountain,  we  were 
less  exposed  in  advance  than  in  retreat.  A  tedious  and  dan- 
gerous climb  brought  us  near  the  summit, — which  was  much 
farther  off  than  we  had  anticipated,  —  when  we  perceived  an 
old  man  coming  down  to  meet  us,  who  told  us,  that,  seeing  the 
tarbooshes  of  the  soldiers,  we  had  been  taken  for  Turks.  He 
then  showed  us  the  best  way  to  reach  the  top,  and  pointed  out 
to  us  how  far  we  were  from  the  path  we  should  have  taken. 

What  was  nothing  to  this  old  man,  who  had  lived  on  the 
mountain  for  forty  years  without  having  come  down,  was  no  joke 
to  us ;  and  we  were  sincerely  glad  when  it  was  all  over,  and  the 
top  was  readied.  We  found,  on  our  arrival,  a"  huge  fig-tree  and 
a  number  of  conical-roofed  huts.  The  monks  received  us  kind- 
ly, and  gave  us  a  hut  to  sleep  in,  some  dried  figs  about  the  size 
of  hazel-nuts,  and  unleavened  bread,  to  eat,  with  very  dirty-look- 
ing water  to  wash  it  down ;  for  which,  however,  we  were  very 
thankful.  Their  daily  fare  consisted  of  figs  and  bread.  We 
saw  several  large  threshing-floors,  and  they  grew  sufficient 
dhiirra  for  their  own  use. 

There  were  eight  monks,  mostly  aged  creatures,  some  of 
whom  had  not  been  down  into  the  valley  below  for  over  forty 
years.  They  were  dressed  in  coarse  cotton  cloth,  dyed  yellow, 
with  caps  of  the  same  material,  and  went  barefooted.  They 
took  us  to  see  their  church,  —  a  round  building,  thatched  with 
straw,  and  divided  into  three  compartments,  one  inside  the 
other ;  the  innermost  being  accessible  only  to  the  high-priest. 

They  showed  us  some  manuscripts  ;  one  of  which,  evidently 
held  in  high  veneration  among  them,  we  understood  to  be  a 


THEIR  FIRST  VISITORS, 


243 


Bible.  It  was  placed  in  three  covers  made  of  skin,  and  had 
handsome  silver  clasps.  I  tried  to  buy  some  of  their  manu- 
scripts, but  they  would  not  sell  anything.  Outside  the  church 
were  three  large  flat  stones,  made  to  serve  the  purpose  of  bells. 
They  were  suspended  by  leather  thongs  from  the  bough  of  a 
tree,  and,  when  struck  by  a  stone,  gave  out  a  pleasant,  bell-like 
sound. 

Twelve  or  fourteen  was  the  full  complement  of  monks  who 
lived  on  the  top  of  Tchad  Amba,  but  eight  of  their  number 
had  gone  on  some  mission  to  King  John.  We  were  informed, 
that,  during  the  Abyssinian  war,  a  number  of  valuables  were 
placed  in  the  care  of  these  monks  for  safe-keeping.  Though 
they  were  very  hospitable,  I  am  sure  they  were  not  at  all  glad 
to  see  us ;  they  told  us  we  were  the  first  visitors  they  had  ever 
had.  The  night  was  very  cold,  and  we  were  obliged  to  light  a 
fire  inside  the  hut.  The  next  morning  my  brother  took  his 
rifle,  and  shot  a  small  species  of  goat  which  the  natives  called 
a  sacJiar  {calotragiis  saltatrix).  Its  hair  was  very  coarse,  re- 
sembling that  of  a  reindeer.  We  had  never  met  with  a  specimen 
before  :  it  is  evidently  an  inhabitant  of  the  higher  mountains. 

It  turned  out,  that  the  man  whose  guidance  might  have  cost 
us  our  lives  was  a  mairuais  sujet  who  had  been  expelled  from 
the  monastery  some  years  before ;  and,  although  he  brazened 
it  out,  his  late  brethren  were  evidently  not  enraptured  at  seeing 
him  again,  more  especially  as,  in  offering  to  show  us  the  way 
to  the  top,  he  had  betrayed  a  sacred  trust,  having  sworn  never 
to  divulge  it. 

The  mountain  is  accessible  only  from  two  points.  The  one 
usually  taken  leads  over  a  ridge  so  narrow,  that  for  more  than 
a  hundred  yards  the  safest  mode  of  progression  is  to  sit  strad- 
dle-legged, and  work  one's  self  along,  one  foot  hanging  literally 
over  one  valley,  and  the  other  over  another,    It  is  on  one  of 


244 


VIEW  FROM  THE  MOUNTAIN, 


the  highest  points  of  the  mountain.  This  road  leads  in  the 
direction  of  Sanheit ;  and  those  monks  whose  heads  could  not 
stand  crossing  the  ridge  were  taken  round  by  the  way  we  had 
ascended,  which  was  a  good  deal  farther  from  Abyssinian  ter- 
ritory. 

Before  we  started  on  our  return,  the  monks  took  us  to  a 
ledge  of  rock,  from  which  we  obtained  a  fine  view  of  the  sur- 
rounding country  for  many  miles,  our  tents  immediately  beneath 
us  appearing  mere  white  specks.  The  monks  told  us  they  had 
frequently  seen  our  tents,  and  heard  our  shots,  and  wondered 
what  we  were  doing.  They  started  us  off  on  our  return,  by 
much  the  same  way  that  we  had  come  ;  but  instead,  this  time,  of 
following  the  ledge,  as  we  had  been  obliged  to  do  in  coming  up, 
to  protect  ourselves  against  the  stones  thrown  by  them,  we 
went  a  shorter  and  easier  way,  and  soon  reached .  the  place 
where  we  had  received  their  first  volley  of  rocks.  In  making 
the  ascent,  we  had  been  for  a  great  part  of  the  way  in  the 
shade ;  in  going  down,  however,  towards  noon  we  were  in 
the  blazing  sun,  and  hemmed  in  by  great  boulders,  reflecting 
the  terrific  heat.  We  were  obliged  to  take  off  our  shoes  and 
stockings,  as  in  our  ascent,  and  found  clambering  over  the 
burning  rocks  a  most  painful  proceeding. 

To  return  to  my  narrative  :  Leaving  Adardee,  our  next  halt 
was  at  Ashidireh,  about  seventeen  miles  distant.  Although  in 
this  country  villages  are  by  no  means  numerous,  the  Arabs 
have  names  for  every  well,  khor,  or  hill.  It  is  often,  however, 
difficult  to  know  their  proper  names,  as  it  frequently  happens 
that  the  different  tribes  have  different  names  for  one  and  the 
same  thing.  Ashidireh  was  merely  a  watering-place,  and  Adar- 
dee the  name  given  to  some  wells  in  Khor  Bogou. 

On  the  road  we  met  Ala-ed-Deen  Pacha,  an  old  acquaintance, 
who  was  at  Massawa  last  year.     The  government  of  the 


AN  OLD  FRIEND. 


245 


Soudan  had  been  lately  divided  into  two,  and  the  eastern  part 
made  separate  from  Khartoum,  Berber,  the  White  and  Blue 
Niles,  Kordofan,  and  Darfour.  Ala-ed-Deen,  as  I  have  already 
mentioned,  had  just  been  made  governor  of  Souakim,  Massa- 
wa,  Sanheit,  Cassala,  Gedariff,  Gallabat,  and  the  intervening 
country.  He  was  very  cordial,  and  declared  he  had  heard  of 
our  affair  with  the  Dembelas,  and  said  he  believed  the  rifles 
had  come  into  the  possession  of  Ras  Aloula.  He  was  on  his 
way  to  Amedeb,  and  intended  visiting  the  various  towns  under 
his  jurisdiction,  making  Cassala  his  headquarters,  our  old 
friend  the  Bey  there  having  been  dismissed. 

Ala-ed-Deen  had  with  him  a  man  who  spoke  a  little  English, 
and  who  had  previously  had  control  of  the  telegraph  at  Khar- 
toum, but  had  been  dismissed  from  there.  Now  he  was  to  be 
reinstated,  and,  moreover,  to  have  the  charge  of  all  the  tele- 
graph-system in  Ala-ed-Deen's  province. 

The  next  day  took  us  into  Sanheit,  which  we  reached  on 
April  10.  A  new  road,  only  lately  finished,  had  been  built  over 
the  mountain,  decidedly  the  best  piece  of  road-making  I  had 
ever  seen  in  the  country,  and  nearly  good  enough  for  carriages, 
had  there  been  such  vehicles.  It  was  a  broad,  zigzag  road,  cut 
in  places  through  the  rock,  the  work  of  the  soldiers  at  San- 
heit, and  due  entirely  to  the  energy  of  the  present  governor. 

In  the  summer  of  1881  the  Abyssinians  had  come  down  into 
the  country  between  Ashidireh  and  this  mountain  pass,  and 
driven  off  a  great  many  cattle,  as  well  as  killing  a  number  of 
the  Sanheit  people,  among  others  Gerghis'  father  and  Ali 
Bakeet's  brother.  An  old  servant  of  ours  of  the  previous 
winter,  whom  we  greatly  disliked  and  eventually  dismissed, 
rejoicing  in  the  name  of  Totel,  nicknamed  by  us  ''total  fail- 
ure," had  turned  renegade,  and  assisted  them  against  his  own 
people  ;  a  scandalous  proceeding,  which  I  believe  to  be  of  rare 


246 


PERE  PICARD. 


occurrence  among  these  Arabs,  As  usual  on  such  occasions, 
the  Egyptian  soldiers  at  Sanheit  remained  in  garrison,  and  did 
nothing  to  help  them.  The  garrison  consisted  of  fifteen  hun- 
dred men,  all  negroes  from  the  White  Nile. 

Several  wells  had  been  sunk  close  to  the  road.  The  air  was 
fresh  and  invigorating ;  and  on  reaching  the  top  of  the  pass, 
and  winding  in  and  out  of  the  hills  for  a  short  distance,  we 
were  delighted  to  look  down  on  Sanheit  in  the  valley  below  us, 
surrounded  by  mountains,  and  situated  over  five  thousand  feet 
above  sea-level.  It  is  the  healthiest  and  coolest  town  in  the 
Eg}'ptian  Soudan,  and  we  knew  it  well.  We  had  ridden  on 
ahead  of  the  caravan,  and  went  straight  to  the  mission-house, 
where  we  saw  Fere  Picard.  He  said  the  letter  I  had  written  to 
him  from  Amedeb  on  Feb.  17  had  been  a  month  and  a  half  on 
the  road,  as  it  had  gone  by  Cassala,  Souakim,  and  Massawa. 
He  had  replied  at  once ;  but  I  had  not  received  it,  as  it  had 
probably  gone  by  the  same  roundabout  route. 

He  informed  us  that  he  had  conversed  with  two  Abyssinians 
who  had  seen  our  stolen  rifles,  which  they  declared  had  been 
sent  to  the  king,  who  was  now  in  Shoa.  He  seemed  confident, 
that  by  writing  to  the  king,  through  the  French  consul  at  Mas- 
sawa, we  should  get  them  back ;  so  we  determined  at  all  events 
to  try  and  do  so.  His  informants  told  him  that  the  Dembelas 
who  took  the  rifles  consisted,  as  we  had  imagined,  of  a  party 
of  men  out  after  game,  which  they  hoped  to  spear  by  watching 
near  their  watering-places,  and  among  them  were  two  men  Pere 
Picard  mentioned  to  us  by  name,  one  of  whom  had  spent  about 
two  years  in  the  Egyptian  Soudan,  and  spoke  Arabic  fluently. 
He  thought  this  man  was  probably  the  one  who  wore  the  felt 
hat. 

With  regard  to  the  children  of  poor  Mahomet,  our  guide, 
whom  the  Dembelas  had  killed,  Pere  Picard  told  us  that  the 


SANHEIT, 


247 


family  were  so  fanatical,  and  afraid  of  the  Egyptians,  that  they 
would  not  permit  them  to  go  to  Sanheit ;  and  consequently  he 
could  do  nothing  towards  educating  them,  all  that  was  possible 
being  to  send  them  money. 

Sanheit  is  situated  in  a  very  barren,  treeless-looking  country, 
in  what  is  known  as  the  Bogos  country,  and  used  to  be  indepen- 
dent until  Munzingar  Pacha  some  years  ago  took  it  for  the 
Egyptians,  and  built  a  fort  there.  Previous  to  that,  there  had 
been  many  trees,  all  of  which  he  cut  down.  Each  family,  too, 
had  its  own  burying-ground  enclosed  in  high  stone-walls ; 
these  he  removed,  and  used  in  building  the  present  fort,  and 
there  remains  scarcely  a  trace  of  these  ancient  sepulchres. 
Sanheit  is  usually  marked  on  the  maps  as  Keren,  and  was 
known  by  that  name  before  the  arrival  of  the  Egyptians.  It  is 
now  applied  only  to  the  part  of  the  town  built  before  that  period, 
and  separated  from  the  more  modern  town  and  fort  of  Sanheit, 
which  is  opposite  to  it,  by  several  hundred  feet  of  arid-looking 
land.  This  arid-looking  plateau,  however,  after  the  rains,  which 
commence  in  June,  grows  a  considerable  quantity  of  tobacco  ; 
and  there  are  several  Greeks  who  have  been  established  there 
for  many  years,  engaged  in  its  cultivation. 

We  pitched  our  tents  close  to  the  well  belonging  to  the  mis- 
sion, which  was  fully  two  hundred  feet  deep,  and  under  the 
shadow  of  an  immense  fig-tree.  By  the  aid  of  irrigation,  almost 
any  thing  would  grow  in  the  favourable  climate  of  Sanheit ;  the 
soil  is  rich,  but  water  scarce.  The  missionaries  possess  several 
gardens,  in  which  with  great  success  they  grow  potatoes,  cab- 
bages, lettuces,  carrots,  and  other  European  vegetables,  as  well 
as  vines  and  pomegranates.  It  is  a  pity  they  have  never  tried 
mangoes,  which  I  am  sure  would  flourish  there,  and,  besides 
supplying  fruit,  would  be  most  valuable  for  shade. 

We  went  to  call  on  the  governor,  and  found  his  divan  much 


248 


COOL  NIGHTS. 


improved  in  the  last  year;  instead  of  a  small,  dirty-looking  kind 
of  barn,  we  were  shown  into  a  nice  room,  furnished  with  plenty 
of  comfortable  chairs,  and  there  were  actually  clean  white- 
muslin  curtains  to  the  windows !  The  governor,  a  military 
man,  and  evidently  very  energetic,  was  new  to  the  place.  He 
had  greatly  improved  and  strengthened  the  fort,  and  was  com- 
mencing to  build  a  mosque,  for  which  they  were  making  red- 
burnt  bricks  instead  of  the  usual  sun-dried  ones. 

We  found  a  telegram  from  the  English  consul  at  Suez,  to  say 
that  the  next  two  steamers  would  leave  Massawa  on  the  6th 
and  30th  inst.  To  make  more  sure,  we  telegraphed  to  Mas- 
sawa, and  received  an  answer  to  say  that  the  next  boat  sailed 
on  the  26th.  Pere  Picard  and  another  brother  dined  with  us ; 
and  afterwards  a  great  crowd  assembled  to  see  the  magic-lan- 
tern, with  which  all  seemed  to  be  greatly  delighted.  Although 
we  were  told  that  the  hottest  months  in  Sanheit  were  those  of 
March,  April,  and  May,  we  found  the  weather  much  cooler  than 
any  we  had  experienced  for  some  time.  The  nights  were  quite 
cold,  and  all  day  a  strong,  cool  wind  blew. 

Colvin  had  brought  a  letter  of  recommendation  to  "all 
bishops  and  priests,"  from  Cardinal  Manning ;  which  seemed 
greatly  to  please  the  reverend  fathers,  who  held  him  in  high 
estimation. 

We  asked  to  see  over  the  church  and  schools, — the  largest 
and  best-conducted  thing  of  the  kind  in  the  Egyptian  Soudan, 
—  and  were  greatly  pleased  with  what  we  saw;  so  much  so, 
that,  although  none  of  us  were  Roman  Catholics,  we  all  gladly 
subscribed  to  so  laudable  an  establishment.  It  had  been  a 
good  deal  enlarged  lately,  and  was  altogether  far  more  impor- 
tant than  we  had  expected.  There  are  seven  brothers,  all 
Lazarists  ;  nine  sisters  ;  and  also  a  bishop,  a  Swiss,  who  lives 
usually  at  Sanheit,  but  when  we  were  there  he  was  absent  in 


THE  MISSION  ESTABLISHMENT. 


249 


Europe.  They  clothe,  feed,  and  educate  seventy  girls  and 
eighty  boys,  all  of  whom  live  in  the  establishment.  We  were 
conducted  over  the  dormitories,  which  were  very  airy  and 
scrupulously  clean  ;  each  child  had  an  aiigai^eb,  with  the  bed- 
clothes belonging  to  it  neatly  folded  up  and  placed  at  the  foot. 
We  were  shown  one  large  room,  in  which  was  a  printing- 
press,  where  religious  books  were  being  printed  in  the  Amharic 
language  (one  of  the  languages  of  Abyssinia)  by  one  of  the 
fathers.  We  were  next  taken  to  the  carpenter's  shop,  where 
cart-wheels  were  being  made.  Every  thing  is  done  by  the 
fathers  themselves.  There  are  two  carts,  drawn  by  bullocks 
belonging  to  the  mission,  —  the  only  wheeled  conveyances  I 
ever  saw  in  the  Soudan. 

Besides  the  children  who  live  at  the  mission,  and  who  are 
mostly  from  Abyssinia,  they  have  five  hundred  belonging  to 
Sanheit,  who  attend  the  schools  daily.  It  not  unfrequently 
happens,  that  a  mother  will  sell  her  child  ;  whenever  the  priests 
hear  of  such  a  case,  they  go  to  the  government  authorities,  who 
make  the  mother  give  up  the  money  to  the  purchaser,  and  hand 
the  child  over  to  the  mission.  One  such  child  had  arrived,  the 
very  morning  of  our  visit,  a  little  boy  between  two  and  three 
years  old ;  his  mother  had  sold  him  for  three  dollars !  The 
priest^  had  christened  him  Lorenzo. 

We  went  inside  the  church,  —  really  a  very  nice  building, 
with  a  vaulted  roof.  A  native  priest,  an  Abyssinian  I  believe, 
was  engaged  in  baptising  some  fresh  converts.  We  were  told, 
that,  during  an  earthquake  some  two  or  three  years  ago,  a  great 
part  of  the  roof  had  fallen  in,  and  that  every  thing  in  the 
church  had  been  overturned  except  the  image  of  the  Virgin 
and  Child  over  the  high  altar. 

We  went  to  see  the  sisters  in  a  large  airy  room,  opening  out 
of  a  courtyard  in  which  European  flowers,  such  as  geraniums, 


250  SUCCESS  OF  THE  SCHOOLS. 

verbenas,  and  roses,  were  blowing,  and  looking  quite  home- 
like. One  of  the  sisters,  a  Swiss,  possessed  some  medical 
knowledge,  and,  with  pardonable  pride,  showed  us  her  dispens- 
ary, well  furnished  with  neat  rows  of  bottles  and  drawers. 
Everything  about  the  mission  was  comfortable  and  European- 
looking,  in  great  contrast  to  its  surroundings,  —  rooms  with 
red-tiled  floors,  furnished  with  chairs  and  tables,  linen-presses, 
a  sewing-machine,  etc.  We  saw  two  harmoniums  ;  one  in  the 
church,  another  in  a  room  in  which  one  of  the  sisters  was  hold- 
ing a  singing-class. 

Prettier  children  it  would  be  hard  to  find ;  and  all  looked 
clean,  happy,  and  well  cared  for.  We  heard  them  sing  a  hymn 
in  praise  of  the  Virgin,  in  French,  which  they  did  very  well ; 
then  they  indulged  us  in  a  quaint  Abyssinian  dance.  Sewing 
is  a  great  part  of  the  education  of  both  boys  and  girls,  and  we 
saw  a  class  in  one  room  learning  to  sew. 

There  are  three  of  these  mission-establishments  in  Abyssinia 
belonging  to  the  same  society,  but  they  have  no  sisters  attached 
to  them.  At  Massawa  they  have,  however ;  and  I  believe  the 
establishment  there  is  as  large  as,  or  larger  than,  that  at  Sanheit. 
They  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  missions  at  Khartoum  or 
Berber,  which  are,  I  believe,  not  nearly  so  flourishing  or  well- 
managed. 

The  most  disheartening  part  of  the  mission  was,  as  the 
fathers  and  sisters  confessed  to  us,  the  difficulty  in  finding 
situations  for  their  proteges  after  they  had  reared  and  educated 
them.  Outcast  from  their  own  people,  and  unable  to  find  em- 
ployment amongst  the  Mussulman  authorities,  they  are  thrown 
on  their  own  resources  ;  which  proves  more  fatal  to  the  women 
than  to  the  men. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


We  start  for  Massawa.  —  Dra's  sad  Story.  —  The  Anseba  Valley.  —  An  Attempt 
to  make  India-rubber  from  the  Qiiol-qiiol  Plant.  —  El  Ayn.  —  Bashi-Bazouks  and 
their  Prisoners. — We  encamp  at  the  Water-course  Camphor.  —  Occasional  Sud- 
den Rising  of  the  Water  in  the  Khors. 

At  noon  on  the  nth  a  start  was  made  for  Massawa.  We 
had  done  a  good  deal  of  telegraphing  to  both  Suez  and  Mas- 
sawa, endeavouring  to  obtain  some  idea  as  to  the  date  of  the 
probable  departure  of  th^  next  steamer  from  the  latter  port ; 
but  our  replies  were  so  vague  and  contradictory,  that  we  re- 
solved to  lose  no  time  in  starting  for  the  coast,  there  to  wait 
for  the  first  opportunity  that  should  offer  itself. 

Some  of  the  servants  belonging  to  Sanheit,  we  left  behind. 
Gerghis,  who  came  from  the  same  place,  and  had  been  with  us 
both  winters,  Lort  Phillips  decided  to  take  with  him  to  Eng- 
land. He  was  a  smart,  active  boy  of  about  seventeen,  who  had 
been  brought  up  at  the  mission,  where  he  had  learned  a  little 
French.  We  met  some  of  the  soldiers  who  had  been  with  us 
the  previous  winter ;  one  of  whom  had  proved  a  useful  addition 
to  our  entourage,  being  handy  and  clever  in  skinning,  and  in 
many  other  ways.  He  told  us  that  the  Effendi,  the  head  of  our 
''army"  then,  had  since  died.  It  appeared,  that  to  his  military 
profession  he  added  that  of  fakir,  and  was  in  the  habit  of  col- 
lecting live  snakes  and  scorpions  with  which  to  perform  charms. 
He  had  caught  a  snake,  and  placed  it  in  a  bag ;  and,  while 

assisting  at  the  obsequies  of  some  one  near  Sanheit,  where 

251 


252  A  SAD  STORY  OF  DEGRADATION. 

his  magical  powers  were  called  into  requisition,  he  produced 
the  reptile,  which  bit  him,  causing  his  death. 

One  of  the  best  of  our  Sanheit  servants,  who  had  been  with 
us  during  both  past  winters,  by  name  Dra,  a  most  intelligent, 
faithful  fellow  of  about  thirty,  who  could  both  speak  and  write 
a  little  French,  also  left  us  before  our  departure  for  the  coast. 
The  priests  told  us  a  most  horrible  story  about  him,  which  we 
had  never  heard  of  before,  and  which  illustrates  the  state  of 
degradation  in  which  the  people  live.  It  appears,  that,  a  long 
time  back,  his  father  had  stolen  a  cow  ;  the  theft  was  traced  to 
him,  and  he  was  ordered  to  pay  it  back  at  once,  but  having 
disposed  of  it,  and  being  without  money,  he  could  not  do  so, 
and  consequently,  according  to  the  law  among  his  tribe,  he  was 
condemned  to  return  two  cows ;  and  this  went  on  at  a  sort  of 
compound-interest  rate  (he  being  still  unable  to  pay  the  man 
back),  until  he  owed  one  hundred  cows.  By  the  law  of  his 
tribe,  he  then  became  the  slave  of  the  man  from  whom  he  had 
stolen ;  this  slavery  consisting,  as  far  as  he  was  concerned,  in 
his  being  obliged  to  follow  his  master,  should  he  go  to  fight 
against  any  neighbouring  tribe,  and  in  attending  the  ceremonies 
consequent  on  his  marriage  or  death.  The  dreadful  part  of  it, 
however,  was,  that  his  wife,  and  any  daughters  he  might  have, 
were  forced  to  lead  immoral  lives  ;  and  this  extended  to  all  his 
female  descendants ;  in  consequence  of  which  state  of  affairs, 
no  respectable  woman  would  marry  Dra.  Dra's  sister  had 
married  a  European,  and  he  had  hoped  that  by  so  doing  she 
would  be  free ;  but,  her  husband  dying  of  small-pox,  she  was 
forced  to  become  a  public  woman. 

Dra's  master  was  in  prison  when  we  were  in  Sanheit ;  and 
the  priests  told  us  that  nothing  could  be  done  towards  freeing 
Dra,  until  he  was  liberated,  which  would  be  in  a  few  weeks' 
time.   When  that  event  took  place,  they  said  his  freedom  could 


POWER  OF  TRIBAL  LAW. 


253 


be  purchased  for  thirty  dollars,  besides  two  dollars  which  must 
be  given  to  a  man  who  would  go  round  with  some  noisy  instru- 
ment to  the  various  villages  about,  somewhat  in  the  manner  of 
a  town-crier,  and  proclaim  his  freedom  ;  in  addition  to  which,  a 
dollar  each  would  have  to  be  given  to  three  witnesses.  Dra 
did  not  know  that  all  this  had  been  told  to  us  ;  and  when  we 
called  him  into  the  tent,  and  interrogated  him  on  the  subject, 
he  became  greatly  excited,  and  evidently  did  not  at  all  like  our 
knowing  about  it  ;  he,  however,  confessed  that  it  was  all  true. 
We  left  the  requisite  sum  with  the  priests  to  procure  his  free- 
dom ;  with  which  he  was  greatly  pleased,  though  they  said  it 
would  take  some  time  to  accomplish.  They  told  us,  that,  if  we 
spoke  to  the  government  about  it,  they  would  deny  the  exist- 
ence of  such  a  thing ;  as,  although  they  would  disapprove  of  it, 
they  would  be  powerless  to  prevent  it,  because  it  was  a  purely 
tribal  law,  which  with  such  people  was  of  far  more  weight  than 
any  that  the  Egyptian  authorities  might  endeavour  to  pass. 

The  first  day  out  of  Sanheit,  we  accomplished  only  about 
eleven  miles.  We  descended  a  considerable  distance,  Sanheit 
being  about  five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  and  pitched  our 
tents  in  the  Anseba  valley.  For  some  distance  we  passed 
flourishing-looking  gardens,  where  vegetables  of  various  kinds 
were  growing ;  some  of  the  natives  having  followed  the  example 
of  the  mission. 

Although  no  water  flows  in  the  Anseba  in  the  dry  season,  in 
many  places  it  comes  to  the  surface,  and  can  always  be  ob- 
tained by  sinking  wells  to  no  great  depth  ;  so  that  irrigation 
becomes  comparatively  easy,  and  this  was  being  taken  advantage 
of  in  many  places.  Some  three  or  four  miles  after  leaving  the 
town  we  passed  a  fort  called  Sobab,  garrisoned  with  soldiers, 
and  situated  on  the  top  of  a  hill  commanding  the  approach  to 
Sanheit.   The  valley  of  the  Anseba  is  a  most  favourable  ground 


254 


A  PLEASANT  SPOT. 


for  naturalists,  many  interesting  and  brightly  plumaged  birds 
being  found  there.  Partridges  were  extremely  plentiful,  and  of 
two  kinds,  —  the  Francolimis  Ruppelli  and  F.  gnttiiralis.  We 
shot  a  good  many  of  them,  and  they  afforded  excellent  sport. 
We  also  shot  some  beautiful  trogons  and  large  yellow  pigeons, 
besides  doves  of  different  kinds,  —  the  coluniba  Guinea^  Turtur 
Scnegalensis,  and  Tver  on  Abyssinica. 

The  trees  were  very  numerous,  large,  and  of  many  different 
kinds ;  in  fact,  a  pleasanter  camping-ground  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  find,  our  only  regret  being  that  we  had  not  more  time 
to  spend  there.  One  tree  that  was  very  common  there  had 
long  hanging  tendrils,  from  which  hung  a  pod-like  fruit  about 
two  feet  in  length. 

The  journey  from  Sanheit  to  El  Ayn  is  certainly,  as  far  as 
scenery  and  climate  are  concerned,  the  most  agreeable  I  ever 
made  in  the  Soudan.  Our  next  day's  journey  was  as  far  as 
Calamet,  twenty-three  miles.  After  following  the  course  of  the 
Anseba  for  five  or  six  miles,  we  left  it,  and  soon  began  to  ascend 
a  very  steep  hill,  most  trying  for  the  camels,  which  were  rapidly 
decreasing  in  number ;  many  of  them  had  died,  some  had  been 
sold  for  an  old  song,  and  five  given  to  the  priests. 

On  reaching  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  we  obtained  a  most 
extensive  view.  The  path  down  the  other  side  was  longer,  and 
quite  as  steep  as  the  one  by  which  we  had  come  up.  The  flora 
differed  from  any  thing  we  had  yet  seen  :  there  were  aloes,  the 
castor-oil  plant,  cacti  of  many  kinds,  including  the  qnol-qicol, 
and  bright-coloured  flowers  in  great  profusion.  The  quol-qiiol 
{eiipJiorbia  Abyssinica)  contains  a  poisonous,  white,  milky  juice, 
which  is  very  sticky,  and  flows  out  plentifully  on  a  sprig  being 
wounded  or  broken.  I  believe  that  the  Abyssinians  use  this 
juice  for  catching  fish  in  the  small  streams,  by  throwing  a  quan- 
tity of  it  into  the  water ;  the  fish  become  insensible,  and  float 


THE  "  QUOL-QUOL." 


255 


on  the  surface,  when  they  are  easily  captured.  A  drop  of  this 
juice,  inadvertently  getting  into  one's  eye,  is  said  to  be  sufficient 
to  cause  blindness  ;  and  I  have  heard  that  the  milk  of  the 
asclcpia  gigantea,  an  extremely  common  desert-plant  through- 
out the  Soudan,  is  possessed  of  the  same  charming  quality. 

Some  Frenchmen  had  lately  taken  it  into  their  heads,  that 
the  juice  of  the  qnol-qtiol  would  form  a  cheap  substitute  for 
India-rubber,  and  expected  to  make  a  large  fortune  by  export- 
ing it.  Their  expectations  had  been  most  unduly  and  cruelly 
raised,  by  the  report  they  had  received  of  the  first  consignment 
sent  to  Europe.  By  some  mistake,  their  consignees  had  opened 
a  case  of  India-rubber  from  Zanzibar,  in  mistake  for  the  qnol- 
quoly  and  immediately  wrote  to  them  to  send  all  they  could 
possibly  obtain  at  the  price  they  had  named,  which  was  far 
lower  than  what  Zanzibar  India-rubber  cost.  On  receiving  this 
report,  they  sent  off  a  great  quantity  as  quickly  as  they  could, 
and  had  sent  a  great  deal  before  a  second  letter  reached  them, 
demanding  what  they  meant  by  sending  such  rubbish.  Then 
the  whole  mistake  was  cleared  up,  but  not  before  the  poor 
Frenchmen  had  lost  largely  by  the  transaction.  In  shape,  this 
tree  resembles  a  cone  reversed.  It  grows  to  a  height  of  twenty- 
five  to  thirty  feet,  and  bears  yellow  and  red  coloured  fruit,  which 
grow  together  in  clusters,  in  much  the  same  way  as  dates. 

We  did  not  see  much  game  ;  but  Lort  Phillips  shot  a  very 
fine  buck  nelliLt^  after  a  stalk  to  the  top  of  a  hill.  This  species 
of  antelope  is  always  found  in  very  hilly  districts,  but  does 
not  frequent  wide,  open  plains,  like  gazelle,  ariel,  and  many 
other  varieties  of  antelope.  Lions  are  sometimes  seen  in  this 
country,  and  used  to  be  very  common.  We  were  also  told 
that  a  panther  had  been  lately  seen  near  Calamet. 

Another  long  day's  march  took  us  to  El  Ayn.  We  were 
descending  all  the  time ;  and  often  travelled  in  the  wide,  sandy 


A  RARE  BIRD, 


bed  of  khoj's.  Our  road  lay  through  a  very  beautiful,  rocky 
pass,  where  it  was  difficult  to  believe  we  were  in  Africa ;  and 
led  through  a  narrow  gorge,  barely  wide  enough  for  two  camels 
to  pass,  with  towering  rocks  on  either  side,  the  resort  of  the 
dog-faced  baboon. 

We  passed  several  large  burial-grounds,  —  large,  at  least,  to 
be  found  in  such  wilds, — and  two  sheiks'  tombs,  which  in  the 
distance,  placed  as  they  were  on  prominent  rocks  above  the 
path,  presented  quite  the  appearance  of  castles  or  fortresses. 
These  Arab  cemeteries  are  usually  surrounded  by  a  circular 
wall  of  stones,  the  top  covered  with  small  white  pebbles,  for 
the  purpose  of  scaring  away  the  wild  beasts ;  and  even  the 
tombs  are  generally  covered  with  these  pebbles,  which  give 
them  a  decidedly  neat  appearance. 

We  lunched  under  an  overhanging  rock  in  the  pass,  where 
perfect  shade  could  be  enjoyed  at  any  time  of  the  day.  It 
was  at  the  junction  of  a  narrow  gorge  with  the  main  one ;  and 
here  the  rains  had  washed  down  quantities  of  debris,  such  as 
leaves,  grass,  and  twigs,  which,  in  course  of  time,  had  become 
fossilized  in  a  very  curious  manner ;  the  rock  under  which  we 
sat  being  formed  of  these  materials. 

We  shot  no  game  on  this  day's  journey;  but  saw  several 
sachars,  the  kind  of  mountain-goat  my  brother  had  shot  on 
Tchad  Amba.  We  added  to  our  collection  of  birds,  if  not  to 
our  larder,  however,  by  obtaining  a  fine  secretary-bird.  Two 
or  three  times  during  our  travels,  we  came  across  this  singular 
bird,  but  had  not  been  able  to  obtain  a  specimen.  The  Arabs 
call  it  the  "Devil's  horseman,"  from  the  extraordinary  swiftness 
with  which  it  runs.  This  bird  lives  almost  entirely  on  reptiles, 
which  it  kills.  Towards  evening,  heavy  clouds  gathered,  and, 
the  atmosphere  appearing  to  be  laden  with  moisture,  we  ex- 
pected rain  ;  but  it  fortunately  kept  off. 


EL  AYN. 


257 


The  district  known  as  El  Ayn,  which  means  **the  spring," 
is  a  very  curious  one.  The  Arabs  give  that  name  both  to  the 
country  and  the  stream,  which,  rising  to  the  surface  in  the  bed 
of  a  khor^  flows  for  three  or  four  miles,  and  then  loses  itself  in 
the  sand.  The  water  is  very  clear,  though  slightly  brackish. 
The  country  about,  though  picturesque,  is  unfortunately  very 
feverish,  and  possesses  a  rainy  season  during  what  is  the  driest 
season  in  the  adjacent  country. 

After  passing  through  a  very  arid  tract,  it  is  curious  to  come 
suddenly  on  the  verdancy  of  spring.  Here  we  found  the  hill- 
sides clothed  in  green,  and  every  thing  looking  fresh  and 
flourishing.  Birds  were  building  their  nests  ;  and  the  great 
numbers  of  weaver-birds,  whose  pendent  structures  hung  from 
the  boughs,  particularly  interested  us.  The  air  was  filled  with 
the  buzz  of  insects  ;  among  them,  unhappily,  mosquitoes.  We 
found  also  several  chameleons. 

Wart-hogs  {pJiacocJicerits  celiani)  are  not  uncommon  in  this 
valley,  my  brother  being  lucky  enough  to  obtain  a  right  and 
left ;  one  of  those  he  shot  had  fine  tusks. 

After  a  night  at  El  Ayn  we  resumed  our  journey,  fortu- 
nately escaping  the  rain  which  fell  almost  every  day ;  on  two 
former  journeys  we  had  not  fared  so  well,  getting  a  good  wet- 
ting each  time,  on  one  occasion  having  three  days  of  it.  It 
seldom  continued  all  day  however,  usually  commencing  at 
three  or  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  it  would  come 
down  in  torrents,  and  perhaps  continue  for  half  the  night. 
Soon  after  starting,  we  killed  a  small  snake,  which  the  Arabs 
declared  to  be  very  venomous  :  we  had  met  with  very  few  of 
any  kind,  throughout  our  travels. 

We  overtook  a  detachment  of  Bashi-Bazouks  in  charge  of  a 
number  of  wretched-looking  prisoners,  —  Arabs  who  had  been 
caught  paying  tribute  to  the  Abyssinians.    They  marched  in 


258 


MOUNTAIN  TORRENTS. 


slave  fashion,  in  single  file,  each  with  his  neck  in  a  heavy  yoke 
made  of  the  forked  bough  of  a  tree,  and  fastened  together  with 
ropes,  rendering  escape  impossible. 

We  made  a  long  march,  and  after  ascending  for  a  short 
distance  from  El  Ayn  came  to  an  immense  plain,  stretching 
away  on  our  right  to  the  foot  of  the  Abyssinian  mountains, 
while  to  our  left  we  could  just  perceive  the  sea.  No  halt  was 
made  until  after  dark,  when  we  encamped  about  three  miles 
before  reaching  Camphor,  a  considerable  water-course,  with  a 
deep  pool,  where  we  indulged  in  the  rare  luxury  of  a  swim. 
My  brother  shot  a  beisa  antelope  {oryx  beisa),  the  first  of  its 
species  we  had  met  with  ;  it  is  decidedly  rare  in  these  parts, 
as  we  never  heard  of  its  existence  in  any  other  part  of  the 
Soudan  through  which  we  travelled  ;  it  is  common,  I  believe, 
in  South  Africa.    Its  horns  are  long  and  straight. 

From  Camphor  a  messenger  was  sent  on  to  Massawa  with  a 
note  to  the  authorities  there,  telling  them  we  were  on  our  way, 
and  begging  them  to  detain  the  steamer  until  our  arrival,  if  by 
chance  one  were  just  leaving  port.  We  crossed  many  k/iors 
between  Camphor  and  the  coast,  in  some  of  which  we  found  a 
small  quantity  of  water  in  pools.  During  the  rains,  a  great 
deal  of  water  finds  its  way  to  the  sea,  from  the  Abyssinian 
mountains,  by  these  channels  ;  and  the  rise  is  sometimes  so 
sudden,  that  without  any  warning  a  dry  bed  may  be  suddenly 
transformed  into  a  raging  torrent,  perhaps  ten  or  twelve  feet 
deep. 

The  previous  winter  two  English  travellers  whom  we  met, 
came  very  near  losing  their  luggage  in  this  way.  They  had 
spent  the  night  encamped  half  way  down  the  bank  of  one  of 
these  khors  ;  and  the  following  morning,  while  at  breakfast,  they 
perceived  the  torrent  coming,  and  had  only  just  time  to  save 
their  effects  ;  in  fact,  they  did  not  succeed  in  escaping  alto- 


OVERTAKEN  BY  THE  WATERS. 


259 


gethcr,  for  some  of  their  belongings  got  wet,  and  a  numl^er  of 
their  cooking-utensils  were  lost.  After  two  or  three  hours  the 
water  subsided  almost  as  quickly  as  it  had  arisen,  leaving  deep 
pools  here  and  there. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


Arrival  at  Massawa.  —  Comfortable  Quarters  at  the  "Palace." — Situation  of  Mas- 
sawa.  —  Water-supply  of  Massawa.  —  The  Town  is  guarded  at  Night.  — 
Camel-sale  by  Auction.  —  The  Start  from  Massawa.  —  Perilous  Position  of 
Mahoom. 

Another  very  long  march  brought  us  to  Massawa ;  and  so, 
on  April  15,  terminated  our  wanderings  by  land.  It  was  after 
dark  when  we  arrived,  having  made  a  caravan-journey  of  over 
thirteen  hours.  We  had  intended  making  two  easy  days  of 
it ;  but  the  messenger  we  had  sent  forward,  the  previous  day, 
met  us  early  in  the  afternoon  to  tell  us  that  an  Italian  boat  of 
the  Rubbatino  Company  would  leave  the  next  morning,  and 
that,  if  we  wished  to  catch  it,  we  must  hurry  on.  This  was 
luck ;  and,  of  course,  we  did  not  hesitate  to  take  advantage 
of  it.  On  the  way  Aylmer's  servant  shot  a  fine  buck  ariel, 
and  my  brother  wounded  a  gazelle  in  the  shoulder,  but  not 
badly.  His  fox-terrier  Tartar,  after  a  long  and  exciting  chase, 
caught  it,  and  so  at  the  last  moment  retrieved  his  character, 
as  we  had  come  to  look  upon  him  as  a  useless  kind  of  dog ;  he 
stood  the  heat  and  journey  well,  and  soon  learned  to  bark  if 
tired,  when  he  would  be  placed  on  the  back  of  one  of  the  bag- 
gage-camels. We  saw  a  large  troop  of  baboons,  which  are  not 
often  observed  so  near  the  coast. 

On  arriving  at  Massawa,  the  first  thing  we  did  was  to  call 
on  the  governor,  who  was  very  civil,  and  gave  us  rooms  in  what 
Suleiman  called  the  ''palace."    We  were  amused  to  learn  from 
260 


''PALACE''  QUARTERS, 


261 


the  latter,  that  he  had  tacked  on  to  a  telegram  we  told  him  to 
send  to  the  governor  of  Massawa,  from  Sanheit,  Have  palace 
ready  for  us  ;  "  and  his  instructions  had  happily  been  carried  out 
to  the  letter.  It  was  the  most  comfortable  place  imaginable 
for  such  a  climate,  and  proved  to  be  far  more  so  than  our  quar- 
ters at  Souakim  had  been ;  and,  being  built  on  a  small  island, 
was,  comparatively  speaking,  cool.  It  consisted  of  a  very  large 
square  house  ;  the  living-rooms  were  all  on  the  first  floor,  the 
ground-floor  being  given  up  to  offices,  store-rooms,  the  kitchen, 
etc.  To  reach  our  apartments,  we  had  to  ascend  a  broad  double 
flight  of  steps,  at  the  top  of  which  a  massively  carved  wooden 
door  gave  access  to  a  lofty  domed  hall,  out  of  which  opened 
four  large  rooms  ;  the  only  furnished  one  was  kept  as  a  sort  of 
divan,  and  the  other  three  were  given  up  to  our  use.  A  broad 
verandah,  upon  which  three  doors  opened,  ran  all  round  the 
house,  except  over  the  front  steps.  We  placed  our  dining-table 
in  the  centre  of  the  hall ;  and  there,  in  hot  weather,  by  opening 
all  the  doors,  "the  four  winds  of  heaven"  could  be  enjoyed. 
Massawa,  like  Souakim,  is  built  on  an  island,  which  is  com- 
pletely covered  with  houses,  and  is  joined  to  another  island  by 
a  causeway  about  two  hundred  yards  long,  on  which  are  the 
barracks,  the  governor's  residence,  and  a  number  of  small 
houses ;  to  this,  again,  is  joined  another,  on  which  the  palace 
stands,  but  no  other  building.  To  reach  the  mainland,  it  is 
necessary  to  pass  the  barracks,  and  follow  a  very  long  causeway 
for  fully  three-quarters  of  a  mile. 

There  is  no  water  in  Massawa,  and  pipes  are  laid  on  from 
the  mainland  as  far  as  the  barracks ;  and  from  there  into  the 
town  may  be  seen  a  constant  stream  of  donkeys  going  to  and 
fro  with  the  necessary  supply.  It  is  slightly  brackish,  but  ex- 
cellent water  for  drinking  purposes  is  brought  into  the  town 
from  a  distance  of  four  or  five  miles. 


262 


A  WELL  GUARDED  TOWN, 


Massawa  has  the  reputation  of  being  about  the  hottest  place 
on  earth.  I  have  been  there  several  times,  and,  on  each  occa- 
sion, was  singularly  fortunate  in  not  experiencing  anything 
phenomenal.  There  was  generally  a  strong  sea-breeze  and  a 
good  deal  of  cloudy  weather ;  still,  I  have  no  doubt  that  at 
times,  and  for  long  together,  the  heat  becomes  all  but  unbear- 
able. 

At  sunset  the  gate  leading  into  the  town  is  closed,  and 
guarded  by  soldiers  ;  and  no  one  is  admitted  without  a  permit. 
The  causeway  to  the  mainland  is  also  guarded  at  the  other  end. 
These  precautions,  we  were  told,  are  taken  for  fear  of  the 
Abyssinians,  who,  having  no  port  of  their  own,  are  naturally 
very  anxious  to  possess  Massawa.  It  is  a  great  pity  that  it 
does  not  belong  to  them,  as  it  ought  to  do  ;  for,  if  they  had  a 
port,  it  would  be  a  great  help  towards  opening  up  and  develop- 
ing the  resources  of  their  country.  The  anchorage  is  fairly 
good,  and  the  country  about  very  mountainous  and  picturesque. 
A  few  Europeans  live  there,  engaged  in  trade ;  and  a  number 
of  Banians  from  India,  who  make  their  living  out  of  the  pearl- 
fisheries  off  the  coast  and  the  adjacent  islands,  Dhalak  espe- 
cially being  famed  for  them. 

We  have  had  no  consul  at  Massawa  since  the  time  of  the 
Abyssinian  war ;  and  it  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  we  have 
had  no  pepresentatives  in  the  Soudan,  as  they  could  have  done 
more  towards  suppressing  the  slave-trade  than  any  one  else.  I 
believe  consuls  are  to  be  established,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped 
there  will  be  no  more  delay  in  appointing  them  ;  there  should 
be  one  at  Khartoum,  Souakim,  and  Massawa.^ 

As  M.  Raffray,  the  French  consul,  was  absent  in  Europe,  we 
called  on  the  Frenchman  who  was  acting  for  him,  and  con- 

^  Since  writing  the  above,  I  hear  that  consuls  have  been  appointed  both  to  Soua- 
kim and  Khartoum. 


BEAUTIFUL  FISH. 


263 


suited  with  him  as  to  the  probability  of  recovering  our  rifles. 
He  had  travelled  a  good  deal  in  Abyssinia,  and  seemed  to  be 
conversant  both  with  the  people  and  the  country.  His  opinion 
was,  that  if  the  rifles  had  come  into  the  possession  of  the  king 
we  should  get  them  back,  but  he  did  not  feel  at  all  sure  that 
they  had  ever  reached  his  hands.  He  advised  our  asking  our 
consul-general  in  Egypt,  Sir  Edward  Malet,  to  speak  to  the 
French  consul-general  in  Cairo,  and  get  him  to  telegraph  to 
him  at  Massawa  to  do  his  best  for  us,  and  when  he  heard  from 
him  he  would  send  a  messenger  to  the  king  with  a  letter.  He 
declared  that  the  king  was  at  present  very  well  disposed 
towards  Europeans.  I  hope  before  very  long  to  be  able  to 
visit  his  country,  and  judge  for  myself. 

The  number  and  variety  of  fish  at  Massawa  is  something 
extraordinary,  and  many  are  of  great  beauty.  Numbers  of 
large  fish  are  to  be  seen  jumping  in  the  harbour,  and  in  the 
shallow  water  near  the  causeway ;  among  them  the  beautiful 
zebra-fish,  a  small  species,  striped  yellow  and  black,  others 
brightest  blue,  and  some  with  black  bands  across  the  back ; 
while  that  curious  creature  the  beckoning-crab  is  quite  common 
in  the  wet  sand,  near  the  edge  of  the  water,  and  in  marshy 
places ;  it  is  bright  yellow  and  blue,  with  one  long  claw  with 
which  it  always  appears  to  be  beckoning ;  hence  its  name.  We 
found  them  very  difficult  to  catch,  as  they  all  had  holes  in  the 
sand,  down  which  they  promptly  retreated  on  our  approach. 

We  all  bathed  in  the  sea  before  breakfast,  —  a  proceeding 
which  seemed  greatly  to  astonish  the  natives.  We,  of  course, 
avoided  the  deep  water  for  fear  of  sharks,  but,  all  the  same, 
were  informed  by  residents  that  we  had  done  a  most  dangerous 
thing  from  a  sanitary  point  of  view  ;  and  one  man  explained  that 
the  extreme  saltness  of  the  water  made  bathing  hurtful !  A 
real  danger,  however,  most  certainly  existed  in  the  presence  of 


264  SALE  OF  ANIMALS  BY  AUCTION. 


vast  numbers  of  a  kind  of  sea-urchin,  which  lived  at  the  bottom 
of  the  water,  and  were  of  a  most  formidable  variety.  They 
were  very  large,  and  furnished  with  very  long,  sharp  spikes, 
which  broke  off  on  being  touched,  leaving  their  points  em- 
bedded in  the  flesh.  I  think  they  were  poisonous ;  for  Lort 
Phillips  got  some  in  his  hand,  and  suffered  agonies  in  conse- 
quence, the  painful  effects  of  which  did  not  wear  off  for  some 
time. 

We  sold  by  auction  our  hygeeits  and  the  camel  which  Shereef 
the  waiter  always  rode  with  the  luncheon  when  on  the  march  : 
and  they  of  course  fetched  very  low  prices,  as  buyers  knew  we 
were  leaving,  and  must  dispose  of  them.  Lort  Phillips's  fetched 
the  highest  price,  —  forty-five  and  a  half  dollars,  having  cost 
eighty.  It  was  a  female,  and  a  wonderfully  easy  goer ;  in  fact,  I 
never  saw  a  better.  My  beautiful  animal  only  brought  twenty- 
four  ;  he  cost  me  forty  at  Cassala,  and  was  in  as  good  condition 
when  I  sold  him  as  when  bought.  We  were,  of  course,  able 
to  look  after  our  own  riding-camels  to  a  considerable  extent 
ourselves,  and,  moreover,  told  off  those  men  we  considered  the 
most  careful  to  take  charge  of  them.  I  was  very  loath  to 
part  with  mine  ;  and,  had  I  been  intending  to  return  to  the 
country  the  following  winter,  I  should  have  endeavoured  to 
make  some  arrangement  to  have  him  kept  for  me.  He  was 
fast  and  easy,  though  not  so  much  so  as  Lort  Phillips's,  which 
would  go  seven  or  eight  miles  an  hour,  and  be  comfortable  to 
ride  at  that  pace.  My  animal  made  scarcely  any  noise  when 
I  wanted  to  mount  or  dismount,  —  a  rare  virtue  in  camels ;  a 
slight  jerk  at  the  rope  which  did  duty  as  bridle,  and  he  would 
go  off  at  a  trot ;  he  never  had  a  sore  back ;  and  his  coat  was 
wonderfully  clean,  not  covered  with  ticks  as  most  camels'  are. 

We  had  lost  numbers  of  our  camels,  had  given  away  a  good 
many,  and  for  those  that  remained  on  our  arrival  at  Massawa 


''MOLLY'S''  BAD  PREDICAMENT,  265 

we  were  offered  such  low  prices,  that  we  gave  most  of  them 
away  to  the  more  deserving  of  our  drivers  and  servants.  We 
had  nine  goats  ;  these,  too,  were  distributed  in  the  same  way ; 
the  boy  who  looked  after  them  was  so  lazy  that  he  did  not 
come  in  for  them  as  he  had  expected  to  do.  The  year  before, 
we  had  given  them  to  the  man  who  had  had  charge  of  them, 
and  he  sold  them,  and  purchased  a  camel  with  the  proceeds  ; 
the  boy  had  heard  of  this,  and  entirely  reckoned  his  chickens 
before  they  were  hatched,  as  he  had  to  take  his  departure  with- 
out any  present. 

We  had  promised  our  Arabs  the  present  of  a  buUocK,  on 
which  to  feast  themselves  on  their  arrival  at  Massawa,  and 
had  entrusted  Suleiman  to  purchase  one  for  their  benefit  ;  but 
on  inquiring  if  he  had  done  so,  he  said  ''No,"  adding,  ''People 
only  bring  hen  cow,  he  no  good,  he  make  plenty  shild  !  " 

Our  steamer,  the  "  Messina,"  put  off  her  departure  until  the 
morning  of  the  17th,  when  we  all  embarked  about  8.30.  The 
arrangements  for  getting  on  board  were  rather  primitive,  our 
servants  and  the  steerage-passengers  having  to  reach  the 
steamer  by  swarming  up  a  rope.  Soon  after  we  had  got  under 
way,  it  was  discovered  that  "  Molly "  (Mahoom)  was  missing. 
The  ship  was  searched  in  vain ;  when  some  one,  happening  to 
look  over  the  side  of  the  vessel,  discovered  poor  "Molly"  in 
the  last  stage  of  exhaustion  and  terror,  hanging  on  to  the  end 
of  the  rope  like  grim  death.  Assistance  was  at  hand,  and  he 
was  soon  placed  in  safety.  It  appeared  that  he  was  the  last 
of  the  servants  to  come  on  board,  and,  having  caught  hold  of 
the  rope,  the  shore-boat  rowed  away,  leaving  him  clinging  to  it. 
Climbing  was  not  one  of  his  accomplishments.  An  Italian 
sailor,  who  witnessed  his  predicament,  hauled  away  at  the  rope 
in  a  feeble  sort  of  way,  but,  finding  Molly's  weight  rather  too 
much  for  him,  quietly  let  go,  and  gave  it  up  for  a  bad  job,  leav- 


266 


SEA  FISHING, 


ing  him  hanging  over  the  vessel's  side,  a  tempting  bait  for  the 
voracious  sharks. 

There  were  two  other  steamers  in  port  at  the  time,  the 
"Khartoum,"  a  gunboat,  and  a  small  Egyptian  vessel.  The 
latter  was  about  to  start  for  Belool,  a  place  a  little  to  the  north 
of  Assab  Bay  (the  new  Italian  colony),  where  there  was  to  be 
an  inquiry  into  the  massacre,  about  a  year  before,  of  seventeen 
Italians  in  that  country ;  and  I  believe  the  Italian  consul  was 
going  about  it  himself. 

Besides  the  servants  we  had  brought  with  us  from  Egypt, 
we  were  taking  Achmet  and  the  cook-boy  as  far  as  Souakim, 
and  we  made  up  altogether  a  large  party  ;  the  only  first-class 
passenger  besides  ourselves  was  a  Frenchman,  M.  Michel,  for 
several  years  the  head  custom-house  officer  at  Massawa,  who 
had  just  been  dismissed,  and  his  place  filled  by  a  native.  Mr. 
Brewster,  who  held  the  same  post  at  Souakim,  had  already 
gone  ;  his  position,  too,  being  filled  by  an  Egyptian.  I  imagine 
the  government  will  find  the  revenue  from  these  places  consid- 
erably decreased,  in  consequence.  During  the  passage  to  Soua- 
kim we  caught  seven  fish  by  hanging  out  lines  from  the  stern, 
the  hooks  being  simply  dressed  with  wdiite  rag.  Three  varie- 
ties were  caught,  among  them  some  small  tunny,  and  a  fish 
very  like  a  pike. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


Arrival  at  Souakim.  —  A  Visit  to  Mr.  Bewley.  —  Our  Fellow-Passengers  on  the 
"Messina."  —  Arrival  at  Suez.  —  Accounts  of  Abyssinian  Raid  in  English  and 
Egyptian  Press.  —  Suleiman's  History. —  We  leave  Cairo  for  England. 

The  next  afternoon,  at  half-past  five,  we  arrived  in  Souakim ; 
just  at  the  right  time,  as,  had  we  been  a  Uttle  later,  we  should 
have  been  obliged  to  spend  the  night  outside  the  harbour,  as  it 
is  impossible  to  enter  after  dark.  We  landed  the  same  even- 
ing, and  paid  Mr.  Bewley  a  long  visit.  We  heard  that  the  offi- 
cers of  the  "  Blues,"  with  whom  we  had  travelled  in  going  down 
the  Red  Sea,  had  gone  to  Suez  in  the  last  trip  of  the  "  Mes- 
sina." We  also  heard  that  English  consuls  had  been  ap- 
pointed to  Souakim  and  Khartoum,  and  none  too  soon,  if 
what  we  heard  were  true,  —  that  hundreds  of  slaves  were  still 
being  shipped  from  the  neighbourhood  of  the  town  to  Arabia. 

M.  Elsen,  the  Belgian  gentleman,  had  returned  from  the  inte- 
rior, and  sailed  for  Europe.  He  had  been  very  unfortunate 
in  being  ill  most  of  the  time  he  was  in  Africa ;  and,  although 
he  had  collected  a  great  many  antelope-heads,  they  had  mostly 
been  destroyed,  owing  to  their  not  being  properly  prepared. 
He  had  got  no  lions  or  elephants,  but  had  shot  one  buffalo. 

Arriving  on  the  afternoon  of  the  i8th,  we  did  not  get  off 
again  until  the  morning  of  the  22d,  at  nine  o'clock :  our  time, 
however,  was  very  pleasantly  spent,  partly  in  fishing,  though 
with  no  great  success.  We  had  a  great  deal  of  cargo  to  take 
on  board,  and  they  were  very  slow  about  it ;  but  we  were  told 

267 


268  PASSENGERS  BY  THE  " MESSINA^ 


the  reason  was,  that  they  would  have  to  wait  some  days  at 
Suez,  for  a  boat  from  Italy,  before  going  south  again,  and  so 
we  were  only  too  glad  to  take  things  easily.  A  great  deal  of 
the  cargo  consisted  of  ivory  from  the  White  Nile,  and  the  rest 
was  chiefly  gum.  The  "  Cosseir  "  arrived  while  we  were  waiting 
there,  one  of  the  Khedivial  post-boats  that  had  been  newly 
done  up,  and  was  bound  for  Massawa,  Hodeida,  Aden,  Zeilla, 
Tajurra,  and  Berbera.  These  last  three  ports  have  lately  been 
added  to  these  steamers'  ports  of  call,  as  they  are  now  under 
the  Cairo  government ;  and  I  trust  the  country  from  these 
points  will  soon  be  opened  up.  A  small  steamer,  belonging  to 
some  merchants  at  Aden,  has  also  lately  commenced  trading 
with  these  places,  which  are  in  the  Soumali  country.  A  sec- 
ond steamer  came  into  Souakim  while  we  were  there,  —  the 
"  Kassal  Kerim,"  for  cattle,  a  filthy-looking  vessel,  flying  the 
Turkish  flag. 

We  took  several  first-class  passengers  from  Souakim,  among 
others  two  Americans  whom  we  had  met  at  Shepherd's  Hotel, 
before  leaving  Cairo.  They  had  been  sent  out  by  the  "  Freec'- 
man's  Aid  Society"  of  New  York,  I  believe,  to  endeavour  to  find 
out  suitable  places  for  establishing  schools  and  stations  for  this 
society  on  the  White  Nile  and  at  Khartoum.  It  is  proposed 
to  send  out  educated  negroes  from  America,  both  ordained  and 
laymen ;  the  idea  being,  that  they  will  be  more  suited  to  the 
climate,  and  have  more  influence  over  their  black  brethren, 
than  white  people  possibly  could  have.  These  American  gen- 
tlemen had  travelled  to  Khartoum  via  the  Nile  and  Korosko 
Desert,  and  had  been  up  the  White  Nile  in  one  of  the  govern- 
ment-steamers as  far  as  the  Sobat  River,  seven  hundred  miles 
south  from  the  junction  of  the  Blue  and  White  Niles.  Their 
scheme  has  the  sanction  and  approval  of  the  Khedive,  who  had 
promised,  before  they  left  Cairo,  to  aid  them  in  the  undertaking. 


ARRIVAL  AT  SUEZ, 


269 


Then,  too,  we  had  as  passenger  the  French  consul  from 
Khartoum,  going  home  on  leave  of  absence.  He  was  taking 
with  him  a  perfect  menagerie  of  animals  and  birds,  most  of 
which  he  intended  presenting  to  the  Jardin  des  Plantes  in 
Paris.  His  collection  comprised  two  large  aboo  geders  (literally, 
father  of  strength),  —  the  same  species  of  land-tortoise  we 
had  endeavoured  to  take  home,  and  of  which  we  did  succeed  in 
bringing  one  diminutive  specimen,  —  some  parrots  of  various 
kinds,  ducks  and  geese  from  the  White  Nile,  and  a  beautiful 
black-and-white  monkey  of  a  kind  that  had  never  previously 
been  brought  to  Europe. 

Another  of  our  first-class  passengers  was  an  Egyptian  official, 
a  far  better-educated  man  than  one  usually  meets  in  such  out- 
of-the-way  places.  He  spoke  French  fluently,  and  was  reading 
Sainte-Beuve  and  Lamartine  on  the  voyage.  We  were  delayed 
in  starting,  by  some  cattle  we  had  to  take  on  board,  over  a  hun- 
dred, all  from  Khor  Baraka,  where  they  are  very  cheap ;  some 
of  which,  having  got  loose  at  night,  took  a  walk  "aft,"  much  to 
the  inconvenience  of  those  passengers  who  were  sleeping  on 
deck. 

Leaving  Souakim,  as  I  have  already  said,  on  the  morning  of 
the  22d,  after  a  very  pleasant  and  not  disagreeably  warm 
voyage  we  reached  Suez  on  the  26th,  early  enough  to  break- 
fast at  the  hotel.  We  were  very  glad  to  find  a  good  budget  of 
letters  waiting  for  us.  By  them  we  learned  that  our  friends  in 
England  had  been  considerably  alarmed  about  us.  Both  the 
telegrams  I  sent  from  Amedeb  had  gone  wrong ;  instead  of 
being  sent  on  from  Cairo  to  the  address  in  London,  which  I 
had  left  at  the  former  place,  they  were  sent  by  mistake  to  my 
address  in  London,  and  my  housekeeper  returned  them  with 
my  other  letters ;  one  I  received  at  Massowah,  the  other  at 
Suez. 


STORY  OF  SULEIMAN. 


Meanwhile  all  kinds  of  nonsense  had  been  put  in  botii  the 
Egyptian  and  English  newspapers  ;  in  the  latter  we  were  de- 
scribed as  having  been  robbed  of  camels,  baggage,  and  every 
thing,  in  the  Atbara  Mountains,  — wherever  they  might  be, — 
and  to  be  making  the  best  of  our  way  to  the  coast  on  foot.  Not 
exactly  in  newspapers,  but  something  very  like  it.  These  vera- 
cious statements  did  not  appear  in  the  English  papers  until  the 
end  of  March;  and  it  was  on  Feb.  17  that  I  telegraphed  to 
Cairo  to  say  we  were  all  well.  Our  deplorable  condition  had 
even  been  made  the  subject  of  a  question  in  the  House  of 
Commons.  We  felt  quite  important  at  having  so  much  interest 
taken  in  our  welfare,  and  lost  no  time  in  telegraphing  to  our 
friends  to  say  we  were  in  a  highly  prosperous  state,  and  on 
our  way  home. 

We  left  Gerghis  and  Mahoom  at  Suez,  to  go  to  England  in 
a  direct  steamer,  via  the  canal.  Suleiman,  who  had  been  with 
us  for  two  winters  in  the  Soudan,  and  had  proved  a  most  excel- 
lent, trustworthy  fellow,  my  brothers  and  I  resolved  to  take  to 
England  for  the  summer ;  and,  as  we  required  his  services  at 
Cairo,  we  took, him  on  there  with  us. 

The  story  of  his  life  is  an  interesting  one,  and  evinces  far 
more  pluck,  combined  with  a  keen  desire  for  acquiring  knowl- 
edge, than  one  generally  meets  with  among  Egyptians.  He 
was  born  near  Wady  Halfah,  at  the  second  cataract ;  and,  at  the 
age  of  ten  years,  was  sent  to  his  uncle,  a  baker  by  trade,  at 
Alexandria.  He  remained  there  some  time ;  but  his  uncle  ill- 
reated  him,  and  he  ran  away  to  Cairo,  where  he  took  several 
situations  as  a  domestic  servant.  Here  he  conceived  a  strong 
desire  to  learn  to  read  and  write :  so,  having  saved  enough 
money  out  of  his  wages  to  purchase  a  native  apparatus  for 
making  tea,  having  a  small  grate  underneath  it  to  burn  char- 
coal,—  the  Arabic  name  of  which  I  forget, — and  a  sufficient 


A  YOUNG  TEA  MERCHANT. 


271 


quantity  of  the  requisite  articles,  such  as  cups,  tea,  sugar,  and 
fuel,  he  left  service,  hired  a  little  garret,  and  became  a  regular 
attendant  at  one  of  the  native  schools. 

As  soon  as  his  lessons  were  over,  he  would  rush  off  to  his 
room,  fetch  his  teapot,  and  go  the  round  of  the  carriage-stands  in 
the  European  quarter,  crying,  TcJiai!  tcJiai  (''Tea!  tea!"), 
and  so  generally  earned  more  than  enough  to  cover  the  day's 
expenses.  His  relations  in  Cairo  were  at  a  loss  to  imagine  how 
he  maintained  himself ;  for  they  knew  he  had  left  service,  and 
spent  his  days  in  school.  His  great  delight  was  to  go  to  an 
uncle  who  was  a  grocer,  living  in  the  native  quarter,  to  buy 
some  provisions,  and  listen  to  the  inquiries  as  to  how  he  lived, 
and  where  he  got  money  enough  to  pay  for  his  lodging  and 
education ;  but  he  kept  his  secret,  and  never  ventured  into  that 
quarter  to  sell  his  tea. 

At  length  some  of  his  schoolfellows,  meeting  him  on  his 
evening  rounds,  told  their  master,  who  was  so  struck  with  the 
boy's  perseverance,  that  he  gave  him  permission  to  bring  his 
teapot  into  school  with  him ;  where,  in  addition  to  what  he 
sold  in  the  streets,  the  boys  bought  from  him ;  and  some  of 
them,  being  sons  of  well-to-do  people,  would  pay  him  a  trifle 
more  than  what  he  asked  outside.  After  leaving  school,  he 
entered  the  service  of  Sir  Samuel  and  Lady  Baker,  and  went 
with  them  up  the  White  Nile  to  the  lakes,  on  the  expedition 
Sir  Samuel  describes  in  his  book,  "  Ismailia."  On  their  return 
he  obtained  a  place  for  him  in  the  late  Khedive's  private  dis- 
pensary ;  and,  on  his  abdication,  Suleiman  followed  him  to 
Naples,  where  he  remained  for  some  time  in  the  same  employ. 

At  length,  being,  to  use  his  own  expression,  "gusted"  with 
the  people  in  Naples ;  and,  as  a  Mahometan,  living  in  constant 
dread  of  eating  pig's  flesh  in  some  form  or  other  in  his  food,  he 
returned  to  Cairo,  and  again  entered  into  service.    His  master, 


2^2 


PARTING, 


an  Englishman,  was  just  leaving  Egypt,  and,  having  no  further 
need  for  his  services,  recommended  him  to  us  ;  and  we  took  him 
to  the  Soudan. 

We  remained  two  days  at  Suez,  and  then  all  went  on  to 
Cairo,  where  we  remained  together  until  the  3d  of  May,  when 
Colvin  and  Aylmer  left  for  Suez  eji  route  for  Bombay,  and  the 
rest  of  us  for  Alexandria,  returning  to  England  via  Venice. 
Before  separating,  Aylmer  agreed  to  meet  us  the  last  week  of 
the  following  December,  in  the  cit!^  of  Mexico.  We  all,  except 
my  brother  Arthur,  who  remained  in  England,  met  there,  and 
only  a  week  later  than  the  date  named. 

Although  anxious  to  get  to  England,  we  were  all  very  sorry 
to  break  up  our  pleasant  party ;  and  all  look  forward  to  another 
winter  in  the  Soudan  at  no  very  distant  date. 


INDEX. 


273 


INDEX. 


A 

Abiam,  good  sport  near,  150,  151. 
Abou  Gumba,  the,  64. 
Abou  Hamed,  12. 
Abou  Sellal,  211. 

Abyssinians,  a  hundred  armed,  118. 

Dembelas  tribe,  124. 

contemplated  expedition  against,  125. 
Abyssinian  chief,  visit  from  an,  71. 
Abyssinia,  difficulty  of  getting  into,  165. 
Achmed  Ageer,  Sheik,  66,  159. 

sends  four  horsemen  as  interpreters, 
67. 

dines  with  us,  69. 

accompanies  the  caravan,  72. 

takes  his  leave,  75. 

rejoins  the  party,  80. 

returns  to  his  people,  81. 

again  turns  up,  215. 
Achmet  Effendi,  the  palace  of,  13,  14. 
Achmet,  stud-groom,  the,  57,  179,  217. 
Adventure  with  a  lion,  74,  236. 
Adventure  with  a  buffalo,  83. 
Ayn,  El,  a  halt  at,  257. 
'*  Agra,"  the  British  India  steamer,  3. 
Aibaro,  132,  144. 

Akabah  brings  alarm  of  the  Abyssinians, 
118. 

Ala-ed-Deen  Pacha,  supreme  governor, 
13,  244. 
frees  the  prisoners,  15. 
Al'  the  cook,  6,  128. 
All  Reza  Pacha,  13-15. 
Alkai,  head  camel-driver,  55. 


Amdn^  signification  of,  97,  120,  125. 
Amedeb,  137,  141. 

the  town  of,  141,  232. 
Americans,  two,  268. 
Angareb,  an,  36. 

Animal-catcher,  the  German,  65. 
Anselmier,  Swiss  servant,  the,  6. 
Anseba  Valley,  the,  253. 
Antelope,  Dik-dik,  77. 

Mora,  86. 

Beisa,  258. 
Antinori,  the  Marquis,  20,  124. 
Ants,  destructive  white,  50,  51. 
Arabica,  Gazella,  25,  42. 
Arabs,  the,  17. 

encampment,  an,  55,  167. 
Arabia,  slaves  shipped  to,  267. 
Ariel,  shot,  61,  191. 
Ashidireh,  244. 
Atbara  River,  the,  48. 
Attman  Galani,  Sheik,  18. 
Avenging  jackal,  the,  38. 

B 

Baboons,  63,  175. 
Baby  crocodiles,  79. 
Baggar-^sh,  capture  of  a,  171. 
Baker,  Sir  Samuel,  6,  203,  271. 
Baobab-tree,  the,  61,  88. 
Barea  tribe,  the,  135. 
Baraka,  Khor,  23,  236. 
Base  country,  the,  2,  91-94. 

people,  the,  i,  88,  91-95,  102,  129,  229- 
231. 

971, 


276 


INDEX. 


Bashi-Bazouks  and  their  prisoners,  257. 
Beads,  fondness  of  the  natives  for,  93. 
Bedouins,  the,  prisoners,  14,  15. 
Beer,  made  from  dhurra,  96. 
Beisa  antelope,  capture  of  a,  258. 
Belgian  doctor,  the,  38. 
"  Bellus,"  a  camel,  20. 
Berber,  12. 

Berthon  boat,  usefulness  of  the,  188. 
Bey,  Geera,  civility  of  the,  234. 
Birds,  scarcity  of,  28. 

bright  plumaged,  42,  233,  254. 
Boa-constrictor  shot,  214. 
Bogos  country,  the,  6,  247. 
Bogou,  Khor,  picturesqueness  of,  239. 
Bokutan,  Mount,  164. 
Bombashi,  governor  of  Amedeb,  139. 
Bonne-bouche,  a,  210. 
Brewster,  Mr.,  10. 

British  India  steamer,  the,  "Agra,"  3. 
Budget  of  letters  from  home,  a,  269. 
Buffalo-hunting,  85,  99,  loi,  108,  114,  147, 

173,  192,  195,  204-206. 
Bullets,  conical  versus  spherical,  108. 

c 

Cairo,  2,  272. 

Camels,  47,  132,  141,  153,  215,  236,  264. 
Camel-drivers,  17,  24,  25,  56. 
Camel  sheik  demands  baksheesh,  23. 

saddle,  a  good,  149. 
Camp,  22. 

death  in,  31. 

breaks  up,  61,  128. 
Camphor,  the  water-course,  258. 
Capsules,  claret,  as  jewellery,  98. 
Caravans,  slave,  12. 
Caravan,  the,  24,  208. 
Carcashi,  Sheik  Said,  138. 
Cargo,  a  large,  of  ivory,  268. 
Cassala,  the  town  of,  52-54. 
Ceremony  of  making  peace,  97,  120,  125, 
229. 

Cholera,  the,  2,  8,  9. 

Church,  the,  on  Mount  Tchad  Amba, 
242. 

Col.  Gordon,  7,  11,  14. 

Compensation,  nine  thousand  dollars,  14. 


Consul's,  the  French,  collection  of  ani- 
mals, 269. 
Consul,  appointed  to  Khartoum,  267. 

appointed  to  Souakim,  267. 
Cook,  Ali,  the,  6,  128,  165. 
Country,  the,  99,  159,  163,  189. 
Cows,  23. 

Crocodiles,  79,  166,  206. 

D 

Dama,  Gazella,  25. 
Daoud,  Suleiman,  6,  270. 
Darfour,  245. 

Daro  Mai,  a  visit  from  Sheik,  97. 
Days,  heat  of,  30,  104,  227. 
Debbe,  a  small  village  on  the  Nile,  13. 
Dembelas  villages,  a  visit  to  some,  20, 
124. 

Desert,  vegetation  in  the,  23. 
Devil's  horseman,  the,  256. 
Dews,  heavy,  105,  134. 
Dhurra,  staple  article  of  food,  16. 

beer  made  from,  96. 
Dhoum-^^Xms,  29,  44. 
Diary,  extracts  from,  202. 
Dik-dik  antelope,  77. 
Doctor,  the,  4-6. 
Doe  mddrif  shot,  203. 
Dorcas,  Gazella,  42. 
Doves,  several  varieties  of,  42,  254. 
Dra's  sad  story,  252. 

E 

Effendi,  Achmed,  palace  of,  13,  14. 
Egyptian  Government,  the,  2,  13,  213. 

Soudan,  the,  2,  13. 

officials,  II,  269. 

tents,  22. 
El  Ayn,  257. 

El  Belad,  a  visit  from  Sheik,  66. 
Elephants,  62,  146,  173,  207,  238. 
Elsen,  M.,  267. 

Ellegua,  the  sand-storm  at,  29. 
English  consuls,  appointment  of,  267. 
En-noor,  the  servant,  216. 
Equatorial  lakes,  the,  6. 
Everlasting  forest,  the,  159. 
Explorations,  Capt.  Gascoigne's,  124. 


INDEX, 


277 


F 

Fahncoob,  halt  at,  156,  214. 

Fillik,  headquarters  of  the  Hadendovva 

tribe,  39,41. 
Felkin,  Dr.,  7. 
Fish,  a  haul  of,  168,  186. 

capture  of  a  baggar,  171. 

abundance  of,  19,  161. 
Fishing,  good,  169.  • 
Fire  in  the  prairie,  155. 
Flocks,  large,  220. 
Forest,  everlasting,  the,  159. 
Fox-terrier,  Tartar,  the,  7,  8,  260. 
Freedman's  Aid  Society,  the,  268. 

G 

Gargi,  the  village  of,  236. 
Gallabat,  13,  53. 
Game,  28,  no. 

Gascoigne's,  Capt.,  explorations,  124. 
Gash,  the  khor  on  which  Cassala  is  built, 

41,  43,  73,  146. 
Gazelles,  three  shot,  37. 
Gazella  Ai-al>ica,  25. 

Dama,  25. 

Dorcas,  42. 
Gedariff,  50. 

Geera  Bey,  civility  of  the,  234. 
George,  the  English  servant,  6. 
German  animal-catcher,  the,  65. 
Giraffes,  89,  106. 
Giraffe-stalking,  89. 

capture  of  a,  90. 
Gordon,  Col.,  7,  11,  14. 
Governor  of  Cassala,  the,  45. 

dinner  with  the,  51. 

gives  military  escort,  58. 
Government,  Egyptian,  the,  2,  13,  213. 

agent,  Wakeel,  the,  10. 

of  the  Soudan,  division  of  the,  13,  245. 
Grass,  dearth  of,  24,  86. 

eaten  up,  216. 
Greek  shops,  15,  235. 
Greeks,  omnipresence  of,  16. 
Green  paroquets,  seen  for  the  first  time, 
39- 

Grooms,  the,  give  warning,  216. 


Gudgeon,  contrivance  for  catching,  171. 
Gerghis,  Mr.  Lort  Phillips's  servant,  251, 
270. 

Guffer,  the,  disease  among  camels,  133. 
Guide,  the,  a  inauvais  stijet,  243. 
Guides,  strike  of  the,  151,  160. 
Guinea-fowl,  42,  73,  86,  195. 
Gum,  large  cargo  of,  268. 
Gumba  Abou,  the,  64. 
Galani,  Attman,  Sheik,  18. 

H 

Hadaiweb,  halt  at,  37. 
Hadendowa  tribe,  headquarters  of  the,  41. 
Hadendumi,  two  of  the  party  start  for, 
221. 

Half  ah  Wady,  route  to,  13. 

Hamed,  Aboo,  12. 

Hamran  country,  the,  13,  155,  192. 

Hawartis,  the,  163 

Heat,  intensity  of,  12,  104,  174. 

Hegleek  trees  rich  in  potash,  87. 

Haikota,  the  village  of,  55,  65,  145. 

Herds,  immense  number  of,  220. 

Hippopotami  tracks  are  found,  163,  166. 

Hippopotamus,  attempt  to  net  a,  186. 

capture  of  the  first,  195. 

the  last,  199. 
Holloway's  pills,  popularity  of,  130. 
Home,  letters  from,  153,  234. 
Homeward  journey,  beginning  of  the, 
206. 

Hotel  du  Soudan,  16. 
Horse,  news  of  the  stolen,  239. 
Horseman,  the  Devil's,  256. 
Household  gods  hidden  for  fear  of  ene- 
mies, 94. 
Hush-money,  ir. 

Hyaena,  a  new  species  killed,  238. 
I 

Illuminations  in  honour  of  the  new  gov- 
ernor, 13. 

India,  saloon-passengers  bound  for,  8. 
India-rubber  made  from   the  qiiol-quol 

plant,  255. 
Ivory,  a  large  cargo  of,  268. 


278 


INDEX. 


J 

Jackal,  the  avenging,  38. 

Jackals,  three  appear,  222. 

James,  Mr.  W.,  shoots  a  splendid  buck 

nelhit,  201. 
Jeddah,  arrival  of  pilgrims  at,  8. 
Jewellery,  claret  capsules  as,  98. 
Jules,  Swiss  servant,  a,  6. 

illness  of,  29. 

death  of,  46. 

funeral  of,  46. 
Journey,  a  dreary  day's,  159. 
Jungle,  road-making  through  the,  82. 

K 

Kelb-el-bahr,  capture  of  a,  170. 
Khartoum,  English  consul  appointed  to, 

262,  267. 
Khedive,  the,  268,  271. 
Khor  Baraka,  23,  236. 

Langeb,  29-33. 

Wandi,  33-35. 

Belag,  37. 

Omri,  38. 

Rassay,  39. 
Khors,  23,  38,  258. 
Koolookoo,  at  the  village  of,  90. 
Kudul,  Sheik,  nr. 

L 

Lacatecourah,  village  of,  209. 
Lakes,  the  equatorial,  6. 
Leper,  a,  105. 
Leopard,  shot  at  a,  222. 
Letters  from  home,  153,  234. 
Lions,  74,  77,  148,  150,  202,  204,  224-226, 
236. 
two  shot,  224. 
London,  arrival  of  pilgrims  in,  9. 

M 

Mddrif,  doe  shot,  a,  203. 
Magic-lantern,  the,  52,  70,  98,  154,  248. 
Mahomet  Salee,  72,  218. 
Mahomet,  the  servant,  speared,  122,  127. 
death  of,  131. 


Mahoom,  negro  from  the  White  Nile,  7, 

Christmas  plum-pudding,  33. 
Ma  Ambasah,  Khor,  107,  116. 
Mai  Daro,  visit  from  Sheik,  97. 
Maieedah,  signification  of,  96. 
Meheteb,  Khor,  160,  168,  206. 
Malet,  Sir  Edward,  consul-general,  18. 
Mareb,  the,  98. 
Massawa,  the  town  of,  260. 
Manning,  Cardinal,  248. 
Mauvais  siij'et,  a,  243. 
Mecca,  pilgrimage  to,  8,  31. 
Medicine-man,  the,  held  in  awe,  130. 
Mehedehet,  or  water-buck,  shot,  loi. 
Mimosa,  a  fresh  variety  of  the,  81. 
Monastery,  a  mountain,  242. 
Monks  of  Mount  Tchad  Amba,  243. 
M.  Elsen,  267. 

jNIoosa's  savage  attack  on  his  fellow-ser- 
vant, 187. 

Mora  seen  for  the  first  time,  86. 

Mosquitoes  prove  troublesome,  203. 

Mother,  a,  sells  her  son  for  three  dollars, 
249. 

Mount  Bokutan,  164. 
Mountain,  ascent  of  the  Tchad  Amba, 
240. 

Mosconas  and  his  son,  50. 

N 

Naouri,  the  village  of,  48. 
Nebbiik-\)\xs\it^  {Rhavimis  lotus),  27. 
Negroes  as  schoolmasters,  268. 
Nellut  shot,  75,  203,  205. 
News,  budget  of,  from  the  Settite,  212. 

of  the  stolen  property,  239. 
Nights,  temperature  of  the,  73,  104,  135. 
Night-watches  in  hopes  of  a  shot,  76. 
Night-watch,  an  exciting,  among  the  buf- 
faloes, 175. 
Nile,  the,  route  to  Soudan,  12. 

o 

Omelette  h  Pautritche,  76. 

Om  Hagar,  "mother  of  the  rock,"  187. 

Ostrich,  exciting  chase  after  an,  103. 


INDEX. 


P 

Palace  of  Achmed  Effendi,  13,  14. 
Palms,  dhoiiJH,  29,  44. 
Panther,  a,  is  seen,  222. 

killed,  223,  238. 
Paroquets,  green,  first  appearance  of,  39. 
Partridges,  good  sport  among  the,  73, 
216,  254. 

Party  of  travellers,  a,  leave  Cairo,  i. 

leave  Cairo  for  the  Egyptian  Soudan,  i. 
Pacha  Ala-ed-Deen,  supreme  governor, 
13,  244. 
frees  prisoners,  15. 
Pacha,  Ali  Reza,  13-15. 
Peace,  ceremony  of  making,  97,  120,  125, 
229. 

Pere  Picard,  45,  141,  240. 
Pilgrims,  Persian,  a  party  of,  8,  9. 

Takrooris,  a  band  of,  joins  the  caravan, 
30- 

Pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  8,  31. 
Pills,  popularity  of,  among  the  natives, 
130. 

Potash,  kegleek-trets  rich  in,  87. 

Prairie,  a  fire  in  the,  155. 

Press,  alarming  account  in  the  English 

and  Egyptian,  270. 
Provisions  taken  from  England,  20. 

Q 

Quails  appear,  65. 

abundance  of,  152. 
Quol-qitol  plant,  attempt  to  make  India- 
rubber  from,  255. 

R 

Raid,  horrible  account  of  a,  214,  270. 

Rains,  coast,  10,  21. 

Railway,  a,  five  miles  long,  13. 

Ras  Aloula,  140. 

Reefs,  dangerous,  11. 

Rhammcs  lotus,  Jiebbtik-hnshts,  27. 

Rifles,  news  of  the  stolen,  239. 

River  Atbara,  the,  3,  48. 

Road-making  through  the  jungle,  82. 

Rose-breasted  shrike  shot,  28. 


s 

Sogada,  village  of,  156. 
Said  Carcashi,  Sheik,  138. 
Salee,  a  tracker,  45,  117,  173. 

Mahomet,  72. 
Sanheit,  247. 

often  called  Keren,  45.  247. 

Roman-Catholic  church  and  schools 
at,  248-250. 
Sand-grouse  shooting,  19,  35,  63,  76. 
Sand-tempest,  effects  of  a,  29. 
Savage,  African,  fondness  for  medicine, 

130. 
Scare,  a,  167. 

the  Base  are  coming !  233. 
Scenery,  monotony  of  the,  27,  159. 
Schools,  good  management  of,  at  San- 
heit, 248-250. 
Scorpions,  40. 
Secretary-bird  shot,  256. 
Seine  fishing-net,  success  of  the,  161. 
Sellal  Abou,  the  camp  moves  to,  211. 
Servants,  salaries  of  the  native,  56,  154. 
Settite,  the,  146,  157. 

fishing  in  the,  161,  168. 

the  travellers  bid  adieu  to  the,  207. 

budget  of  news  from  the,  212. 
Sheiks,  a  visit  from  two  Hamran,  178. 

try  to  shoot  the  Base,  185. 

offer  to  take  the  travellers  to  the  Base 
Settite,  213. 
Shereef,  the  staid  and  stately  waiter,  6. 
Shereker,  the,  182. 
Shrike,  rose-breasted,  shot,  28. 
Siterabb,  26. 
Slave-trade,  the,  11. 

caravans,  12. 
Snake,  a  venomous,  killed,  99,  214,  257. 
"  Snodgrass,"  a  camel,  20. 
Souakim,  port  on  the  Red  Sea,  2,  10. 

party  of  Bedouins  come  to,  14. 

curious  washing-bill  at,  16. 

derivation  of  the  word,  19. 

English  consul  appointed  to,  262,  267. 
Soudan,  the,  i,  12.  *  *  *  ' 

Soumali  country,  three  new  ports  added 
to  the  ports  of  call,  268. 


28o 


INDEX, 


Sport  at  Abiam,  151. 
Steamers,  various,  2,  3. 
Stork,  the  Marabou,  50,  200. 
Suez,  arrival  at,  i,  269. 
Suleiman,  history  of,  270. 
Surprise,  a,  118,  180. 
Swiss  servants,  two,  6. 

T 

Takrooris,  the,  30,  31. 
Tamarind-trees  seen  for  the  first  time, 
80. 

Tamarisk-trees,  favourite   food   of  the 

camel,  30. 
Tartar,  a  fox-terrier,  7,  8. 

retrieves  his  character,  260. 
Telegrams  sent  to  England,  fate  of  the, 
140,  269. 

Temperature,  change  of,  73,  104,  147. 
Tetel  found  for  the  first  time,  74. 

capture  of  a,  75,  172,  190,  222. 

abundance  of,  86,  1 50. 
Ticks,  black,  81. 
Toadelook,  halt  at,  73,  219. 
Toadwan,  halt  at,  78. 
Tokar,  nearest  village  to  Souakim,  23. 
Tomatoes,  discovery  of  w^ild,  105. 
Tortoise,  purchase  of  a  big,  200. 
Totel,  the  traitorous,  245. 
Tracks  of  hippopotami,  163,  166. 
Tracker,  Salee,  a,  45,  117,  173. 
Trappers,  Beni-Amer,  183. 
Travellers  nearly  lose  their  way,  29. 

encamp  up  the  Settite,  163. 

a  scarcity  of,  on  the  road,  44. 
Tribe,  the  Barea,  135. 

U 

Uganda,  7, 


V 

Valley,  the  Anseba,  253. 
Vegetation,  scantiness  of,  40. 

in  the  desert,  23. 
Village,  a  deserted,  37. 

of  Gargi,  236. 
Villages,  visit  to  some  Dembelas,  20,  124, 

Koolookoo,  90,  146. 

Lacatecourah,  208. 

Naouri,  48. 

Sogada,  156. 

paying  taxes  to  King  John,  213. 
Virgins,  story  of  the  seven,  19. 
Vultures,  123. 

w 

Wady  Half  ah,  route  to,  13. 
IVakeel,  the  government  agent,  10. 
Wandi,  Christmas  Day  at,  33,  34. 
Wart-hog,  the,  no,  205. 
Watch,  the  night,  76. 
Water,  digging  for,  73,  82. 
Water-buck,  Mehedehet,  shot,  lOl. 
Water-course,  Camphor,  258. 
White  ants,  50. 

Wild  tomatoes,  discovery  of,  105. 
Woman,  the  old,  who  had  been  robbed, 
26. 

Wo  Ammar,  halt  at,  86,  146. 

Y 

Yacoub,  a  servant,  217. 

z 

Zariba^  a,  58,  119. 

Zem  Zem,  sacred  waters  of,  9. 

Zoological  societies,  collections  for,  54. 


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